But is it really safe?
Before even looking at the security policy of the site, I’m more concerned about the computing environment the child is using. Did you know that the PC you can buy now for about $2000 now is more powerful than the one the government used to crack the German codes in WWII?? (and this power is in the hands of 6 year olds left by themselves??)
I think of computer and internet safety like most parents think about child proofing a room. If we make the environment itself as safe as possible, then the child won’t find himself in trouble, or hurt! For comparison purposes on child proofing a room I found tips from kidsHealth.org, then I created a list related to the internet.
Make Your Home Environment as penalty free as possible
Just like you moved your good wine bottles out of those nice looking wine racks when your kids were crawling, it’s time to move certain websites out of reach. One way to do this is via a firewall filter.
Firewalls keep computers safe by blocking inbound attacks. They can also keep kids safe by blocking inappropriate websites. Websites generally have descriptive words on them so even previously uncategorized sites can be blocked.
One thing to remember, in the very BEST case the child online will only be as safe as you are. If you aren’t sure about your own security and are relying on ‘years of wisdom’ to help you weed out the good from the not – chances are your systems aren’t very safe to begin with. (for your own list of what to do, see Tips from Mom re-interpreted for the cyberage)
Teach them
As I always tell my kids “knowledge is a weapon”. They need to know good internet habits just like any other good habits. Passwords need to be hard to guess, more than one word, and at least one or two numbers in it. It’s a good idea to never reuse the same password on different websites. Also, passwords should never be shared - only with Mommy and Daddy.
Somehow, someway – someday someone might send them an email, or an IM they don’t know. They don’t need to be afraid, just realize this person is a stranger. It may be a kid just wanting to play, or it may be an adult pretending to be a kid. (and THAT wouldn’t be fun at all)
Give them their own login
The separate login gives you the ability to limit what your child can or can’t do while using the computer. If you didn’t then while surfing if a popup saying “Hi!! do you want a free smiley face library??” click OK – is actually asking you for permission to install whatever they want on your computer. What’s that old saying about the devil on the doorstep?? Something like he can’t come in unless you invite him. Many attacks are similar, people just aren’t aware of when they’re inviting him in!
After creating a separate login for each person in the household, as the Administrator you need to password protect your login so privileges don’t get mysteriously turned back! :)
Keep the computer in a common area
Computers and the internet are amazing. It’s truly astounding to be able to find the answer to anything in seconds! As a research tool, it’s without peer.
But as cameras and phones are attached, that friendly little chime in the office suddenly seems like something you don’t want behind closed doors.
Use Software Monitors and Reports
Some Internet Service Providers offer free reports regarding your web traffic and emails. While I trust my kids, I think it’s a good idea to get these ‘report cards’ every week. They provide simple summaries of where your child has gone, how often etc.
If you know where to look – computers provide an abundance of information to play CSI with! In the past, when cleaning up a friends computer of spyware, I noticed that her daughters account had several cookies from Russia on it. They were from the ads served up on a variety of more adult sites than what her mom thought she should be seeing.
Surf with them!
This one is my favorite tip – not that you need an excuse to spend more time with your son or daughter, but as you see where they like to go and what they like to do – you can share some of the wisdom you’ve learned on what looks good, and trustworthy – and what does not.
Sharon and Kevin
Let’s walk through an example. In Sharon’s household she has a 5 year old son, Kevin, and she uses the computer to keep the books for her husbands business and email. They have one login they all share, and it has a high speed connection via Comcast. They bought the computer for Christmas 06 and it came with 2 or 3 firewalls. She thinks they’re using Norton and the one that came with the operating system from Microsoft.
There are a few warning flags here that jump out at me.
1. By sharing one login, they all have rights to install whatever they want on that computer.
--> Sharon should create logins for herself, her husband and for Kevin. Kevin’s rights should be restricted so he can’t inadvertently install software. (nor can anyone else when he’s logged in!)
Example child account
2. The computer may be already compromised. Multiple software firewalls/ anti-virus programs cannot work with each other. The ones not being used should be removed. If it’s compromised with a key stroke capture program – everything Sharon types, or Kevin types may be streamed out
--> Sharon should evaluate Firewall/ Anti-virus / anti-spyware options – pick one, remove the others and allow the one good one to update automatically. Then do a full system scan to start off!
3. The firewall should be on and preventing access to inappropriate sites. In today’s software offerings there is a variety of options – here is a picture of one as an example:
Some of the filters work from lists so that if you block all ‘gambling’ websites – it knows how to identify webpages that appear to be gambling sites and block them. These filters aren’t perfect! But they normally err on the conservative side, blocking more than needed.
4. things not mentioned I’d be curious about – backup strategies on their data, how do they manage their passwords, how do they manage their private data in email, do they use any web enabled phones? Other devices?
But what about Webkinz.com?? is it Safe?
So assuming the environment is safe, the password isn’t shared and the computer is out in a public area …
* I looked at the website and read their privacy policy it sounded ok
* they ask for parental consent before allowing a limited ‘chat’ in their Plus module – standard * kinz chat is with prefabricated sentences
* they do not share information
* surveying google results on my query ‘Webkinz child safety concerns’ nothing bad came back
so… it looks to be OK!
update: I was sitting with my kids today as they fed their animals, and put them to bed. I noticed the http:// in the upper left hand corner was not secured. hmm, I may have to look into this more if anyone is interested!
update 2 on webkinz! I'm see a LOT of people looking for more info on this website - this looks like a good resource - http://www.surfnetkids.com/safety/webkinz/
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