ROLE OF PARENTS IN TEACHING KIDS ABOUT CYBERSECURITY

Life is very beautiful, if we live it cautiously. One of the many challenges in today’s era is cybercrime.  The fact is that many times in life we are judged wrong even though we aren't, through cybercrime our own identity could be misused.  ‘The Hindu’, one of the leading news daily report an average of 375 cybercrime cases per day in India.

In this increasingly digital age, we rely heavily on the Internet for everyday tasks.  There are as many disadvantages as there are advantages in using the Internet.  As a result, cybercrime is on the rise.  There is a government mechanism to curb it, the Home Department of Government of Maharashtra has established Cybercrime department as the Office of Special Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber on 5th January 2015. Currently, Shri. Brijesh Singh- Special Inspector General of Police is the head of this department. The government and the police department are there for our safety.  However, we also need to take caution to prevent such a crime.

2020 can be called a revolutionary year in the field of education, as the use of technology such as Zoom, Google Classroom etc. has replaced the chalk and board. With online education being used extensively not only the schools, teachers and students play an important role in this tech-savvy education, but above all these parents play a vital role in a student's life.  Parents have supported online learning by believing in the benefits of technology. But more importantly, the task is to explain the disadvantages of this technology as well and to protect ourselves and the children from cybercrimes such as fraud.

Now some parents may be wondering what cybercrime is? Any illegal activity using "cyberspace" as a tool is considered a cybercrime.  Cybercrimes are seen to occur especially in the form of hacking, identity theft etc. Apart from this theft of private or confidential information, leaking, etc. are also included in cybercrimes.  Threats through social networking, financial crime, crimes against children, and fraud via email also fall into the category of cybercrime.

At present children are using this technology a lot.  So, cybercriminals are taking advantage of this opportunity by asking for a password, OTP, or Id through social networking and making immoral things happen. All these immoral happenings may tarnish the life of even a reputed family. Parents need to guide their children to stay safe from cybercrime.  For this, they need to explain to their children the advantages and disadvantages whilst using electronic devices with internet access, including the types of cybercrimes such as Identity theft, Psychological Tricks, Social Media related attacks, Digital Banking frauds, Attacks through Mobile applications, and Virus Attacks on Personal Computer, and It is important to provide information on how to safeguard themselves. As the internet touches almost all aspects of our lives, it also makes us vulnerable to a wide range of threats. New and powerful cyber-attacks are striking the internet regularly and a minor lapse in managing our digital lives can open the door to cybercriminals. Cybercriminals can steal our money or damage our reputation. According to a study by a leading industry research organization, 90% of all cyber-attacks are caused by human negligence. Therefore, cybersecurity awareness is important for everyone today.

A cybercrime involves crime through computers, mobiles, and networks. This includes stealing money from online bank accounts, non-monetary offenses, job-related frauds, stealing and misusing sensitive personal information (Aadhar, debit/credit card details, bank account credentials, etc.), defamation of an individual on social media, distribution of computer viruses, etc.

 

Following are some common types of cybercrimes prevalent today:

 1. Identify theft: It is an act of wrongfully obtaining someone's personal information. Following are examples of identity theft:

      §  Gain access to your bank accounts.

§  File a tax refund in your name and get your refund. 

§  Create new utility accounts.

§  Get medical treatment on your health insurance.

§  Assume your identity on social media.

§  Obtain a driver's license, passport, and immigration documents.

§  Hence, everyone should be aware of identity theft and should know how to prevent it.

2. Psychological tricks: Cybercriminals could play with the minds of the users to trap them with things such as lucrative offers. Once trapped, the attackers can exploit the victim by either stealing money, personal information. The entire basis of this type of attack is to make the victim fall into their trap by sending fake SMSs, calls, and emails. Acts like Phishing, Vishing, and Swishing are used to steal money or personal information from the victim. Lottery fraud, credit/debit card fraud, and job-related fraud are some examples of psychological tricks.

 3. Social Media: It has become an important and integral part of our daily lives. It is a new way of communicating, sharing, and informing people about the events in our lives. One can understand the entire history of an individual through their social media profile and can even predict future events based on patterns in the past. Sympathy fraud, romance fraud, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying are some examples of social media fraud.

4. Online banking frauds: Nowadays, all banking services are shifting online. Services like retrieving, preparing demand drafts, requesting a check book, money transfer to other accounts, etc. can be done online. Digital payments applications related attacks, hacking of multiple accounts due to the same password, and hacking of bank accounts due to weak passwords are some examples of online banking fraud.

5. Data theft: Laptops or personal computers play a very important role in our lives, we use them to store our crucial information such as bank account details, business documents, etc. The protection of all this data is highly essential. Virus attacks through external devices, virus attacks by downloading files from untrusted websites, virus attacks by the installation of malicious software are examples of virus attacks on personal computers which may leave to data theft.

Some precautions to be taken to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime unknowingly or by mistake are as follows:

1. Always keep your systems/devices (desktop, laptop, mobile) updated with the latest patches.

2. Protect systems/devices through security software such as anti-virus with the latest version.

3. Always download software or applications from known trusted sources only. Never use pirated

Software on your systems/devices.

4. Ensure all devices/accounts are protected by a strong PIN or passcode 'Never share your PIN Or password with anyone.'

5. Do not share your net-banking password, One Time Password (OTP), ATM, or phone Banking PIN, CW number, etc. with any person even if he/she claims to be an employee or a representative of the bank and reports such instances to your bank.

6. Be cautious while browsing through a public Wi-Fi and avoid logging in to personal & professional accounts such as e-mail or banking on these networks.

7. Always use a virtual keyboard to access net-banking facilities from public computers and logout from a banking portal/website after completion of an online transaction.

8.Avoid downloading email attachments received in e-mails from unknown or untrusted sources.

9. Be careful while sharing identity proof documents especially if you cannot verify the authenticity of the company/person with whom you are sharing information

 

Anil G. Sontakke

Teacher