Microsoft Warns: Children are the enemy

Children today rely on technology to play these days.  They are watching TV on their tablets, playing games on the iPad, and surfing the internet as young as 2yrs old.  Children like pushing buttons and bright lights so why would we think they would much rather sit and read a book when there are interactive games and book that entertain at a much higher level.   Children at a very young age are uploading pictures and navigating through various pages of the internet.  This is why Microsoft is warning us to be careful of letting them run free when surfing the net.  Click, click, and a click can lead to disaster giving up our personal information to malicious malware.

Security and privacy issues are approached when children have keener senses, better motor skills and are more knowledgeable  when it comes to computers.

Pre-school children should learn to get to grips with technology and its problems, argues David Harley, ESET Senior Research Fellow.

Children under the age of 5 use the internet on a regular basis.  A survey of 1,100 mothers on Netmums found that one in eight (12.8%) said their son or daughter was two or younger when they first went online.   My son always liked to use my iPhone to look at pictures.  I watched him scroll through my Groupon App looking at pictures of exotic destinations, restaurants, and pretty girls.  Then he clicked on an image of a woman with heavy colorful eye makeup and long eyelashes.  Before I could take the phone away from him, with two more touches of the screen, he bought a pair of $280 Mink eyelashes!  I couldn't believe it!

When we start browsing the web and see potentially dangerous websites that looks full of Malicious malware, our first reaction is to get away as quickly as possible.  Microsoft knows the potential threat of children unknowingly  submitting our computers  to cybercriminals and thieves alike.


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References:

Children are “the enemy” of good IT security, Microsoft researcher warns - WeLiveSecurity
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/07/18/children-are-the-enemy-of-good-it-security-microsoft-researcher-claims/


Parents need to teach pre-school children to use the internet safely - WeLiveSecurity
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/05/03/parents-need-to-teach-pre-school-children-to-use-the-internet-safely/

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