Parents lack control over their children’s online activity, says Kaspersky study

Parents need to do more to protect their children from the growing number of online threats, but many currently lack visibility of the dangers their children are facing, a survey by Kaspersky has revealed.

The research by Kaspersky Lab showed that less that 26 per cent use parental control software to help restrict children’s activities online. Worryingly, among those parents who have not installed parental control features, one in five believe that it is better for children to learn how to use the Internet safely themselves.

The Consumer Security Risks Survey 2016 uncovered what parents think about the online world and the challenges they face in protecting their family from threats. The research showed that only a third of parents worry that their children could be exposed to inappropriate or explicit content online.

“Parents need to be more aware of the dangers their children face online. They need to help their children become more cyber-savvy and put protection methods in place to keep them safe online, as they would in the physical world”, said Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab. Further, the parents have not taken a proactive role in warning their children on the dangers of the Internet.

Just 36 per cent are wary of their children communicating with dangerous strangers, and 34 per cent worry about them becoming victims of cyberbullying.

Not enough parents are taking the required steps to protect their children, with only a third regularly talking to their children about online dangers and bringing the Internet into family conversation, while only a quarter regularly check the Internet history on the browser. One in five prefer to become a contact within their children’s social networks.

“You wouldn’t let your children cross the road or talk to strangers on their own, so it’s surprising to see almost a quarter of parents leaving their children to browse the Internet independently. It’s easy to overlook the security threats of the online world when you’re a busy parent, but leaving children to deal with threats without help is unsafe. As the digital world increasingly impacts on all aspects of our lives, it is more important than ever to boost knowledge and put safeguards in place,” added Mochola.