From phishing scams to deepfakes, it’s not only old people who are getting the scams of the web wrong but the children who spend a lot of time using the latest gadgets.
Whether it’s their tablets or cellphones, some parents rely on the gadgets as pacifiers to keep their kids busy or entertained. Lying in wait are cyber criminals who want young internet users to step into a digital environment that has grown significantly more hostile.
Today’s malicious actors are armed with highly accessible tools, generating hyper-realistic deepfakes, convincing voice clones and targeted social engineering scams that regularly deceive seasoned professionals. For an unsupervised child on a smartphone or tablet, these polished traps are nearly impossible to detect.
Doros Hadjizenonos, senior regional director at Fortinet South Africa, said safeguarding youth requires a blend of technical controls and active parenting.
To help families navigate the autumn break securely, Fortinet recommends the following approach:
Establish open lines of communication
Talking openly with children is the most effective way to keep them safe. Making them aware of the specific risks empowers them to ask questions and report anything unsettling. Parents must lead by example, demonstrating good security habits and explaining why certain links or sites are best avoided.
Secure home networks and devices
Keeping software updated and securing home Wi-Fi networks is fundamental. Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible and encourage the use of strong passphrases instead of reusing old passwords. If your family travels during the break, be wary of public Wi-Fi networks in hotels and restaurants that prompt users to log in via social media.
Combat misinformation and protect digital reputations
The internet is saturated with fabricated content. Teach children how to critically evaluate what they read and watch, especially given the rise of AI-generated deepfakes. Discuss the permanence of digital footprints. Whatever they share online shapes their digital reputation and can easily be weaponised by malicious actors to manipulate or extort them.
Monitor mental health and screen boundaries
Excessive indoor screen time takes a psychological toll. Unsupervised online access increases the likelihood of exposure to cyberbullying and harmful social media dynamics. Set clear boundaries around device use to ensure children disconnect, protecting their mental well-being and reducing the fatigue-induced mistakes that often lead to clicking on malicious links.
Address oversharing and online predators
Caution children against sharing personal information, such as their address, school name or payment details. Criminals actively exploit the details to send fake links to popular games, potentially compromising a parent’s financial security.
Hadjizenonos also warned against live streaming on social media, which broadcasts a child’s exact location to predators or signals to criminals the family home is empty. Stranger danger is a tangible online threat. Predators frequently use catfishing, or pretending to be someone the same age, to direct message and manipulate young people.
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