It’s summer time, which means kids are either off at camp or at home. Depending on your child’s age, he or she might have a smart phone or another mobile device. While we would love to think they are reading books on those devices, most often they are chatting with friends through text and social media or playing games, whether by app or directly online.
I grew up with the internet, our first household computer arriving when I was ten. My sister was much more skilled at computers, while I liked to accomplish all my summer reading in the first month of break so I could hang out with her or friends. My mother was a teacher’s aide, which meant she had summers off as well. We were always home and always near the internet (even if it was dial up for a while).
As technology became an everyday thing, both my sister and I received laptops. I decided to use mine to write bad teenage poetry, while she used hers to access games online. In less than a year, her computer, a mac, was sluggish. Although the mac was invincible when it came to viruses, she had unknowingly given the site access to her computer to download a whole bunch of malware. The laptop was only good for using as a stand by year two.
While playing Sudoku or Words with Friends can seem innocent, there are several risks to keep in mind other than making your computer into a heavy Frisbee:
- risks from social interactions with strangers who may trick you into revealing personal or financial information
- risks from computer intruders exploiting security vulnerabilities
- risks from online and real-world predators
- risks from viruses, Trojan horses, computer worms, and spyware
Eric J. Hayes. “Playing It Safe: Avoiding Online Gaming Risks.” Security Publications, US-CERT. Web. 22, June 2012.
So how do you protect yourself and your kids from these risks? TrendMicro recommends the following security practices:
- When signing up for a gaming account, go through the account details and determine which are truly important for your gaming experience. While giving out your real name, address and birthdate might be required, it doesn’t mean players have to be accurate. Do you really need this game to know your real name and address? The same goes for the required email address. Dedicated gamers are advised to set up a separate email account for game registration purposes to keep it separate from email accounts that contain your address book, contact information, and verification information for other accounts such as social media or online banking.
- If you have to search for tips or files that could help improve your gaming experience, avoid visiting unverified sites or downloading third-party software from unknown sources. It also follows that players should avoid using their game account credentials to log into third party sites or apps.
- If you don’t plan on buying in-game items, don’t link your credit or debit card details to a gaming account. If you do plan on making online purchases, ask your card provider if they offer an online verification service for online transactions. Similarly, regularly review your bank statements to make sure there aren’t any unverified purchases.
- Install reliable security software that can also detect malicious links and spam and regularly scan your system to make sure that your system is malware-free.
“Data Privacy and Online Gaming: Why Gamers Make for Ideal Targets.” TrendMicro. Web. 29, January 2015.
Online gaming is a huge risk when you are using devices that link to your credit card or bank account. You should always consider the risks and remember that even following by the rules doesn’t always guarantee your data is safe. Consider buying a separate device for online surfing and gaming than the device you use to manage your day-to-day life accounts. And don’t use that thousand dollar laptop for fun. Otherwise, it will make a good stand for your next computer. Putting a line in the sand can be the safest way to avoid the ever changing tactics of hackers.
Watch the “Growing Up in a Connected Word” video from Stop. Think. Connect., which builds on the overall connected discussion with teacher, parent, and student interviews.
Featured Photo Credit: Stop. Think. Connect.