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Molding and shaping our kids while we can is every parent’s dream. When kids are young – and sweet! – they are far more inclined to take on board our advice and lovingly imposed rules. Oh, how I miss those days!! And in a nutshell – that’s what a good set of parental controls can do for you and your kids. In my opinion, parental controls can absolutely help you create good habits but it’s essential that they are accompanied by an invested parent who’s keen to help their kids navigate the online world.
With Aussie kids spending at least 5 hours online a day, it’s no secret that they can be exposed to a broad range of people, websites and themes – some potentially quite disturbing. And with most kids sporting an internet-connected phone plus a laptop, there’s no limit to what they can access – and usually when you aren’t around.
I like to think of parental controls as another way of helping establish healthy habits and good decision-making strategies with your kids. For example, if you have told your kids there is no screen time before bed, then you are able to use Parental Controls to make that a reality. And if you have agreed that they are able to use only certain apps or social media platforms then Parental Controls can also make this happen by blocking access if they deviate. I believe that over time, these routines, and boundaries simply become part of your child’s day-to-day life and become good habits.
McAfee’s Parental Controls, called Safe Family, can also let you view your kids’ activity online and let you know where your kids are at all times. How good??
While it’s commonly believed that it takes just 21 days to form a habit, courtesy of Dr Maxwell Maltz in the 1960’s, more up-to-date research shows that it could take considerably longer. In fact, research conducted in 2010 by Health Psychology Researcher Philippa Lally at The University College in London shows that it takes around 2 months or 66 days to be precise to make a new habit stick!
And while I love the idea that we could help our kids adopt new positive habits in just 2 months, I think we need to keep it real. Fear of missing out (FOMO) coupled with the lure of their shiny devices might mean that it takes a little more than 66 days to make a change, particularly if you are trying to modify their current usage as opposed to starting from scratch.
There is no-one that better understands just how time poor parents can be. Having spent the last 20 plus years rearing 4 boys and working, I feel like I’ve earnt the time poor t-shirt! So, understandably, many parents feel like they just don’t have the ‘band with’ to take on much more so digital parenting is often put in the too hard basket. And I totally get it!
But using parental controls without some knowledge of your kids’ digital world, is a little like filling your car with petrol but not worrying about the oil. It will eventually be a problem!
So, I’m going to break it down for you. Digital parenting doesn’t have to be overwhelming, particularly if you break it down. So, in a quest to keep it simple, here are 4 things you can do to up your digital parenting game:
The day your child picks up a device is the day you start talking about cybersafety. If this is when they are 18 months of age, then that’s when you start. Always ensure the messages are age-appropriate and keep them simple. You could start with:
And when your kids get older, weave in more age-appropriate messages, such as:
Knitting cybersafety messages into your family dialogue needs to also become automatic. Talk about it just like you would sun safety or road safety. And why not share stories around the dinner table about your own online experiences or even relevant news stories to engage them in a dialogue.
I love the idea of a clear contract between parents and kids that details your expectations about their online behaviour and technology use. It’s a great way of developing a set of guidelines that will help them navigate the risks associated with being online. Now, this agreement should definitely be a family exercise so ensure your kids are invested in the process too. If you want a starting point, check out this one from The Modern Parent here.
Taking some time to understand how your child spends their time online is the best way of truly understanding the risks and challenges they face. So, join ALL the social media platforms your kids are on, play their games and download their messaging apps. You will develop a better understanding of how to manage privacy settings and the language/online culture that is a big part of your child’s life. And the best part – if they know you understand their world, I have no doubt that you will develop a little ‘tech cred’ which mean that they will be more likely to come to you with any issues or problems that may face online. Awesome!
There is some amazing technology available that makes this digital parenting thing a heck of a lot easier and that includes Parental Controls. McAfee’s Safe Family is a comprehensive parental controls solution that lets you monitor and block apps and websites, manage screen time, see where your kid’s devices are at all times, and more, giving you peace of mind in an ever-mobile world. The perfect partner to an invested parent!
Parental Controls can be an awesome way of helping your kids establish positive habits around their tech use, but they are even more impactful when combined with an invested parent who has got a good handle on the online world. So, by all means, invest in Parental Control software but also commit to ramping up your digital parenting game – it’s the best way to help set up your kids for a safe and positive experience online. And isn’t that every digital parent’s dream!
Take Care
Alex
The post Can Parental Controls Can Help You Create Good Habits? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
While biometric tools like facial ID and fingerprints have become more common when it comes to securing our data and devices, strong passwords still play an essential part in safeguarding our digital lives.
This can be frustrating at times, since many of us have more accounts and passwords than we can possibly remember. This can lead us to dangerous password practices, such as choosing short and familiar passwords, and repeating them across numerous accounts. But password safety doesn’t have to be so hard. Here are some essential tips for creating bulletproof passwords.
Every year surveys find that the most popular passwords are as simple as “1234567” and just “password.” This is great news for the cybercrooks, but really bad news for the safety of our personal and financial information.
When it comes to creating strong passwords, length and complexity matter because it makes them harder to guess, and harder to crack if the cybercriminal is using an algorithm to quickly process combinations. The alarming truth is that passwords that are just 7 characters long take less than a third of a second to crack using these “brute force attack” algorithms.
Tricks:
Passwords that include bits of personal information, such as your name, address, or pet’s name, make them easier to guess. This is especially true when we share a lot of personal information online. But you can use personal preferences that aren’t well known to create strong passphrases.
Tricks:
If you reuse passwords and someone guesses a password for one account, they can potentially use it to get into others. This practice has gotten even riskier over the last several years, due to the high number of corporate data breaches. With just one hack, cybercriminals can get their hands on thousands of passwords, which they can then use to try to access multiple accounts.
Tricks:
If just the thought of creating and managing complex passwords has you overwhelmed, outsource the work to a password manager! These are software programs that can create random and complex passwords for each of your accounts, and store them securely. This means you don’t have to remember your passwords – you can simply rely on the password manager to enter them when needed.
Tricks:
Now that you’ve made sure that your passwords are bulletproof, make sure you have comprehensive security software that can protect you from a wide variety of threats.
Tricks:
The post 5 Tips For Creating Bulletproof Passwords appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Imagine, if you will, a person goes online each day with the sole mission to trigger confrontation and provoke conflict. Sounds bizarre and exhausting, doesn’t it? Sadly, that’s precisely what online trolls hope set out to do. And while trolls often target adults, when they target kids, the emotional impact can be confusing and painful.
A troll is a person who posts inflammatory messages in an online forum to purposefully cause confusion or harm to other users online for no reason at all.
A 2021 Pew Research report found that nearly 41 percent (four in ten) Americans have encountered online harassment. Additionally, 55 percent think it is a “major problem.” Seventy-five percent of the targets of online abuse say their most recent experience was on social media.
It’s important to differentiate bullies and trolls. While both cause harm, bullies often know their targets. Trolls, however, amplify the emotional complexity of online harassment by targeting strangers. Their goal is to anger and exhaust people with name-calling, body shaming, political or gender bashing, and other forms of emotional abuse.
Helping kids understand, process, and respond in a healthy way to this kind of cruel behavior is, no doubt, a challenge all parents face today. So, what can we do? There are a few things.
1. Prepare. Consider taking the time to discuss this important topic with your child. If they have yet to encounter a troll, it won’t be long. Define what a troll is, what their motives might be, and the different ways they wreak havoc online. For a few conversation starters, google “trolls and motives.” You will find that, among other reasons, trolls incite mayhem online to attract attention, exercise control, and hurt and manipulate others. In fact, some studies show trolling is associated with (among other personality disorders) psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism.
Helping your kids understand these personalities—and not internalize a troll’s hurtful comments—will take time and consistency.
2. Parental Controls. One way to help your kids steer clear of trolls is parental controls. This level of software will block apps and filter websites trolls might frequent. In addition, parental controls will generate online activity reports and help parents limit screentime, both factors in reducing online conflict.
3. Starve the trolls. It’s human nature. We want to strike back hard and fast with an epic comeback when we’re attacked online. However, studies show that the best way to deal with a troll is to ignore or starve them. Trolls feed on angry reactions so arguing is like serving them a chocolate sundae. Instead, consider coaching your child to take a deep breath, step away from their devices, process the troll’s motives, and lastly, not engage. This will not only starve the troll, hopefully, it will also help your child build self-control.
4. Exercise your power. Is it tough to ignore the trolls? You bet! However, muting, blocking, and reporting is still a way for kids to exercise their power. A good reminder to relay to kids: While the internet may be free and open to everyone, your child’s profile, page, or blog belongs to them. It is not a democracy that requires them to tolerate free speech or abusive behavior. Encourage your child to exercise their power and voice by using the reporting tools—unfollow, mute, block, report—designed to help them feel secure and safe online.
5. Make accounts private. Many trolls tend to operate under anonymous names and use hidden IP addresses. For that reason, encourage your child to limit their online circles to friends only. While this may not ward off all trolls, it will reduce their chances of getting through the gates. This is especially important for children who play video games and chat online with unknown online players who may be trolls. Remind them to create private accounts on social networks and to keep all personal information private.
6. Take appropriate action. If a trolling situation escalates to stalking or threats, report it to authorities immediately. A great place to learn more about trolling is the Crash Override Network, an exhaustive list of resources for victims of online harassment. Note: Be sure to take screenshots of the abusive posts, so you have proof in case the person attempts to edit or delete them.
It’s easy to forget that each time your child logs into a device, they step into a literal worldwide web of strangers with diverse behaviors and agendas. Taking time to talk about trolls—before your kids rush to scroll Tik Tok or play Fortnite—will help equip them to deal with this growing threat.
The post 6 Ways to Help Your Kids Deal with Haters and Harassers Online appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Whether it was bush fires, Covid, floods, or the Ukraine conflict, the news agenda over the last two years has been jam-packed. So, when McAfee released the findings of their first Global Connected Family Study, it was clear to me that connecting safely online needs to make it back into the news.
Over 15,000 parents and 12,000 children aged 10-18 from 10 countries (including Australia) were interviewed for the study with the goal of finding out how families both connect and protect themselves online. So, let me share with you the results that need to spring us into action.
I’m the first to admit that being a digital parent can be incredibly overwhelming. Staying abreast of the latest trends, apps and social media platforms can seem like a full-time job! And let’s not forget the latest threats and risks too. But findings, like the ones above, do have a way of shaking up priorities and do serve to provide clarity on where we need to focus our attention as parents.
So, let’s break it down into 5 steps that you can take to ensure you are minimising the negativity and risks your kids may experience online:
Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do for your family is create a culture where honest and genuine communication is a feature of everyday life. If your kids know they can confide in you, no matter what the problem is, then they are far more likely to come to you before a problem such as cyberbullying can feel unsolvable.
It’s impossible to set boundaries and appreciate the risks in the digital world, if you don’t really know what your kids are dealing with. You may have little natural interest in joining Kik, Snapchat or Instagram but if you kids use it – then you know what you need to do! And if your kids can see that you are more actively involved online and using similar platforms, they will be more likely to come to you if they experience a problem.
In my opinion, one of the biggest causes of issues online is the fact that children are given internet-enabled devices that require adult levels of maturity and problem-solving skills. But let’s keep it real – that horse has bolted – most of our kids have phones in their pockets! So, the best way of managing this is to introduce a family technology contract.
Now this can be as simple or complex as you feel is necessary for your tribe. You may want to insist on just a few rules such as not sharing passwords with friends, seeking permission before downloading apps, and always being kind online. You could simply write these on a piece of paper and have your kids sign it. Whatever works for you but remember, the research is showing that our kids are looking to us to help keep them safe online, so include as much here as you think your kids need. And of course, these need to be age-appropriate. I love this one for under 5’s from our eSafety Commissioner and this one is great for tweens and teens from The Modern Parent.
Bullying has existed long before the internet was even a word so unfortunately, it isn’t going anywhere. But coupled with the intensity and very public nature of the online world, it can be devastating. In my opinion, the key to cyberbullying is prevention. So, ensuring your kids know they can come to you with any problem, having a tight connection with your child so you can pick when things are ‘off’ and arming them with a basic cyber safety toolkit (not sharing passwords, privacy settings on, being kind online & having time away from devices) is essential.
One of the ways we can also keep our kids from making mistakes online is by teaching them empathy. If kids haven’t developed empathy, then they make decisions based solely on their own desires – without any consideration for others. Many experts believe that it is the absence of empathy that leads directly to bullying.
So, be a role model and start weaving the good old saying ‘do unto others as you would like them to do to you’ into your family dialogue.
The research findings are very clear: our kids want us to take charge of their online safety. So, let’s get technology working for us so we can keep them safe.
Parental controls are not the silver bullet but when they are used in conjunction with proactive parenting then they can be transformative. McAfee’s Safe Family offers parents the ability to monitor device activity, limit screentime, block apps, and filter websites. This is a great way of teaching boundaries and limits while also giving yourself peace of mind that your kids are as safe as possible.
Investing in comprehensive protection software for your (and your kid’s) devices is another way of adding a layer of protection to their online world. Comprehensive security software like McAfee’s Total Protection will protect against dangerous downloads, viruses, malware, online threats, and visits to risky websites. It will also encrypt the files on your computer and help manage your passwords! A complete no-brainer!!
So, please don’t be overwhelmed and don’t even aim to be the perfect digital parent! Break it down and do the best you can because protecting our kids online needs to be a top priority. So, as soon as possible – check your family communication, take some time to understand your kids’ online world, put a digital contract in place, talk a little, and use some parental controls. But please do not forget about the power of role modeling. As parents, we are our kids’ biggest influencers so it might just be time for you to up your own digital safety game too!!
Till next time.
Stay safe everyone!
The post Aussie Children Have 2nd Highest Rate of Cyberbullying, Time To Focus on Digital Parenting appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Like most things in life, online privacy is a 2-way street. As consumers, we expect the companies we deal with online to manage and safeguard our data to a super professional level however we also have a role to play here too. So, this Privacy Awareness Week (PAW), let’s focus on what we can do to ensure our personal information is kept as secure, and private as possible.
There’s nothing like a dedicated ‘week’ to renew our focus and in my opinion, this year’s PAW does just that. This year’s theme is – The Foundation of Trust – we all have a role to play, a great reminder of how it’s up to all of us to ensure we manage online privacy. There’s no doubt that managing our privacy is low on the to-do list for many. And I get it – we’re all strapped for time, and we don’t ever think privacy breaches will affect us. Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that privacy breaches do happen. Identity theft is a reality of living life online. In fact, in 2020/21, nearly 155,000 Aussies had their identities stolen and they were the cases that were reported. But the good news is that if you take a proactive approach, you can minimise the risk of this ever happening.
Believe it or not, most of your privacy action plan involves small steps that are, I promise, relatively painless. The most important thing here is that you need to commit to doing them. The last thing you want is to spend months dealing with the fallout from having your identity stolen. It’s exhausting, stressful, and absolutely worth avoiding.
Without further ado, here’s your action plan:
Strong and complex passwords are essential to keeping your online information tight. Ideally, a password should have between 8-10 characters and be a combination of letters – both lower and uppercase, numbers and symbols. Each online account should also have its own password too – which is a very overwhelming concept! Consider using a password manager such as McAfee’s TrueKey to help generate and manage passwords.
Ensure all the family checks their social media accounts to ensure they are set to private. This will mean that only their chosen friends can see their private information. Each social media platform will have its own ‘help’ page which provides specific steps on how to do this.
If you are serious about your online privacy, then you need to use public Wi-Fi sparingly. Unsecured public Wi-Fi is a very risky business. Anything you share could easily find its way into the hands of cybercriminals. So, avoid sharing any sensitive or personal information while using public Wi-Fi. If you travel regularly, consider investing in a VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your activity which means your login details and other sensitive information is protected. A great insurance policy!
Adding an additional layer of security to protect yourself when accessing your online accounts is another great way of guarding your online privacy. Turn on two-factor authentication for Google, Dropbox, Facebook and whatever other site offers it. For those new to this option, this means that in addition to your password, you will need to provide another form of identification to ensure you are who you say you are. Most commonly, this is a code sent to your mobile phone or generated by a smartphone app.
Most web surfers rely on Google for their searching but why not use a search engine that doesn’t collect and store the information? And there are loads of more ‘privacy focussed’ options to choose from. Check out DuckDuckGo, that doesn’t profile users or track or sell your information to third parties.
Comprehensive security protection software is an easy way to help firm up your online privacy too as it does a great job of keeping malicious software (malware) at bay. Malware can wreak absolute havoc: from installing pop ups to scanning for personal information. And if you’re likely to click dodgy links (we’re all human after all), then this is a no brainer! Super-duper security software will also guard you against viruses and online threats, direct you away from risky websites and dangerous downloads and protect your smartphones and tablets too, it can also back up your files. McAfee’s LiveSafe protection software comes with a 100% guarantee to protect you against viruses.
So, this Privacy Awareness week, please take the time to ensure you are doing all you can to nail your online privacy. And of course, please get your kids involved too. Do your research and find some stories of ‘real life’ people who have had their identity stolen to share around the dinner table because identity theft can absolutely happen to anyone!
Till next time,
Stay Safe!
Alex
The post Are You Playing A Role In Protecting Your Online Privacy? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Passwords: we entrust our most important data to these strings of letters, numbers, and special characters. So, we should make sure our passwords are words or phrases that we can easily remember, right? While this might be the most convenient option, there are more secure ways to digitally lock up your most sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). In celebration of World Password Day, we’re diving into how you can practice top-notch password security without compromising convenience.1
Over the years, the password has remained a good first line of defense against cyberattacks. However, most of us tend to choose passwords based on memorable things from our lives, like family names or our pets’ birthdays. As it turns out, these details are easy for hackers to find on social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. It’s also human nature to opt for convenience, and for many people that means setting easy-to-remember and easy-to-guess passwords. Plus, out of convenience, people often reuse passwords across multiple accounts and services. The downside is that if one account becomes compromised, all accounts become compromised.
As an alternative to single-word passwords, many security experts advocate for passphrases over passwords. Passphrases are longer strings of words and characters that are easier for you to remember and harder for nefarious software and cybercriminals to guess than random strings of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. But, according to a study, the average American internet user was projected to have 300 online accounts by 2022.2 Can you imagine memorizing 300 different passphrases? We can all agree that sounds pretty unrealistic, so users tend to look for other solutions.
If the answer is yes, you may want to reconsider, as there are several risks associated with this practice. Although it’s convenient to have your browser save your passwords, they tend to do a lousy job of safeguarding your passwords, credit card numbers and personal details, such as your name and address.
Let’s take Google Chrome, for example. Unlike most dedicated password managers, Chrome doesn’t use a primary password to encrypt all your credentials. (Note that some browsers do use one, and are therefore more secure, though you’ll still need to trust your browser provider.) This makes your Chrome-stored passwords relatively weak to “local” attacks. For example, if someone gets hold of—or guesses—your Windows password, they can then see all the logins stored in your browser’s password manager.
Another consideration to note is that the security of all your accounts is tied to your browser account’s security. Let’s say you use the sync option to make your credentials available on all your devices. This means that logins are stored in the cloud and, though encrypted, if someone manages to hack into your browser account, they will gain access to all your logins.
What can you do to help ensure your online profiles are kept safe without spending hours managing a complex list of passwords? Here are some easy ways to lock down your digital life without sacrificing convenience:
A password manager is a software application that stores your passwords and other sensitive information. You can install it on computers or mobile devices and store all passwords in an encrypted file (or database). The best option is to use a password manager like McAfee True Key to store and create strong, random passwords for each site you visit. You’ll have one primary password that grants access to the rest of them—ideally, a long and random passphrase that you can remember. Once everything is set up, it should be seamless. As you log in to new sites, the password manager will offer to save your credentials for later use.
One of the best ways to protect your accounts against unauthorized access is to turn on two-factor authentication for every site that offers it. Using two-factor authentication means a site will prompt you for a unique security code, in addition to your password, whenever you log in to an account for which you have enabled this feature.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring another form of identification after you enter your username and password. Some services send a temporary passcode over text message. Others require the user to approve login attempts from new devices using an app. If someone steals your device or gains access to your account details, they’re out of luck unless they also have access to this second piece of information. Two-factor authentication is available on a wide range of websites and can help keep your accounts safe from would-be hackers, so you should always use it when available.
A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your data and masks your online behavior from snooping third parties. When you go to a website, your computer connects to the server where the site is hosted, and that website can see a certain amount of data about you and your computer. With a VPN, you connect to a private server first, which scrambles your data and makes it more difficult for digital eavesdroppers to track what you’re doing online.
VPNs can provide users with greater peace of mind when on the go. Say you’re traveling on a business trip and need to connect to the Wi-Fi network provided by your hotel. Shifty characters often lurk on unprotected, free networks (such as those provided by hotels, coffee shops, airports, etc.) to lift PII from people handling sensitive emails, making banking transactions, or shopping online. McAfee Safe Connect VPN encrypts your online activity with bank-grade encryption to protect your data from prying eyes. With a premium paid plan, you can protect up to five devices at once and enjoy unlimited data protection.
With your growing number of accounts all requiring passwords—emails, social media profiles, online banking—it’s no wonder that people tend to reuse passwords across multiple sites. This may be convenient, but it creates significant security risks if a suspicious actor manages to obtain one of your passwords and attempts to use it elsewhere. That’s why having strong passwords matters.
Do yourself a favor and opt for a dedicated password manager that will auto-save and store your credentials for you, so you only have one password to remember. Who says security and simplicity can’t coexist?
The post This World Password Day, Here’s How a Password Manager Can Simplify Your Life appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Imagine – your favorite brand on Instagram just announced a giveaway. You’ll receive a free gift! All you have to do is provide your credit card information. Sounds easy, right? This is a brand you’ve followed and trusted for a while now. You’ve engaged with them and even purchased some of their items. The link comes directly from their official page, so you don’t think to question it. Don’t fall prey to crypto scams, download reputable mobile security protection.
This is the same mindset that led to several Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs being stolen by a cybercriminal who had hacked into the company’s official Instagram account. Let’s dive into the details of this scam.
Bored Ape Yacht Club, the NFT collection, disclosed through Twitter that their Instagram account had been hacked, and advised users not to click on any links or link their crypto wallets to anything. The hacker managed to log into the account and post a phishing link promoting an “airdrop,” or a free token giveaway, to users who connected their MetaMask wallets. Those who linked their wallets before BAYC’s warning lost a combined amount of over $1 million in NFTs.
Despite the large price tag attached to NFTs, they are often held in smartphone wallets rather than more secure alternatives. MetaMask, the crypto wallet application, only allows NFT display through mobile devices and encourages users to use the smartphone app to manage them. While it may be a good method for display purposes, this limitation provides hackers with a new and effective way to easily steal from users’ mobile wallets.
BAYC does not yet know how the hacker was able to gain access to their Instagram account, but they are following security best practices and actively working to contact the users affected.
This scam was conducted through the official BAYC account, making it appear legitimate to BAYC’s followers. It is incredibly important to stay vigilant and know how to protect yourself and your assets from scams like these. Follow the tips below to steer clear of phishing scams and keep your digital assets safe:
A seed phrase is the “open sesame” to your cryptocurrency wallet. The string of words is what grants you access to all your wallet’s assets. Ensuring that your seed phrase is stored away safely and not easily accessible by anyone but yourself is the first step to making sure your wallet is secure.
With all transactional and wallet data publicly available, scammers can pick and choose their targets based on who appears to own valuable assets. To protect your privacy and avoid being targeted, refrain from sharing your personal information on social media sites or using your NFT as a social media avatar.
Phishing scams targeting NFT collectors are becoming increasingly common. Be wary of any airdrops offering free tokens in exchange for your information or other “collectors” doing the same.
Phishing scams tend to get more sophisticated over time, especially in cases like the Bored Ape Yacht Club where the malicious links are coming straight from the official account. It is always best to remain skeptical and cautious, but when in doubt, here are some extra tips to spot phishing scams:
As crypto and NFTs continue to take the world by storm, hackers and scammers are constantly on the prowl for ways to steal and deceive. No matter the source or how trustworthy it may seem at first glance, always exercise caution to keep yourself and your assets safe!
The post Instagram Hack Results in $1 Million Loss in NFTs appeared first on McAfee Blog.
There’s a digital counterpart for nearly everything we do, which means more of our personal information is online. And although this tends to make our lives easier, it opens the door for information to land in the wrong hands. Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal identifiable information (PII) for their own monetary or personal gain. Sensitive data like credit card numbers and Social Security numbers can be incredibly valuable if it gets into the wrong hands.
The good news is that you can take steps to minimize the risk of identity theft. This article breaks down some of the most interesting fraud statistics and trends about identity theft in the United States and offers ways to protect your personal data from cybercriminals.
The number of identity theft cases reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has increased in the last five years. According to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) report, the number of reported cases more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.
One possible reason for this upward trend is the coronavirus pandemic. Congress passed legislation that included more than $5 trillion in various government benefits. This money was helpful to out-of-luck Americans, but it was also extremely attractive to scammers who used the opportunity to create fake identities and steal unemployment checks. In fact, the most common type of identity theft this past year was government documents and benefits fraud.
What else do the numbers say about the rise in identity theft? Let’s take a closer look:
These statistics only scratch the surface, though. Keep reading to learn more about the latest identity theft data and what you can do to protect your personal information.
Identity theft is a huge issue in the United States, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Fraud reports show that the number of identity thefts in the U.S. continues to grow and grow. The graph below shows the number of identity theft reports from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2021.
The reported instances of identity theft have risen sharply from just over 100,000 in the first quarter of 2017 to well over 500,000 in the first quarter of 2021. 2020 had the sharpest increase in reports, as cybercriminals did their best to capitalize on the pandemic to take people’s government benefits.
Not every state is affected by ID theft equally. Where you live can have a big impact on your likelihood of experiencing identity theft. The graph below shows the amount of identity theft cases reported to the FTC per 100,000 residents for each state in the U.S.
With a closer look, the five states with the most identity theft reports include Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Rhode Island, which takes the top spot. The number of reports in Rhode Island more than doubled in 2021, from 1,191 in 2020 to 2,857.
At the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota remained the state with the lowest occurrence of identity theft, with only 76 residents per 100,000 experiencing it.
Here’s a list of the 20 metro cities where you have the highest chance of having your identity stolen.
Anyone can become the victim of identity theft, in large part because so much of our information is online. However, certain age groups are more likely to experience different types of scams.
For example, baby boomers are more likely than Generation Z to benefit from government programs. This makes them more susceptible to scams like benefits fraud (where a criminal poses as someone else to steal government benefits).
On the other hand, younger generations like millennials have grown up with the internet, and activities like shopping online are more frequent. This makes them more susceptible to identity theft through credit card fraud.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common identity theft types from various generations:
There are several different types of identity theft, ranging from stolen financial information to compromised health care data. Some forms are pretty straightforward. For instance, credit card fraud occurs when somebody steals your credit card number and uses it to buy things. Others, like medical identity theft, might be a bit harder to recognize.
Here’s a list of five of the most common types of identity theft:
Although these are five of the most common types of identity theft, they can serve as umbrella terms for more specific forms of fraud. The diagram below shows the number of reported fraud cases of these various types of identity theft In 2021.
While the internet has made our day-to-day lives more convenient, it’s also made it much easier for scammers to steal our personal information. Identity theft has become increasingly more common in the United States over the past five years.
The more you use the internet, the more opportunities scammers have to steal your data and sell it on places like the dark web. Social media platforms, e-commerce businesses, banking companies, and a host of other online businesses can store your information for a variety of reasons.
If you use the internet for online shopping, for instance, there’s a good chance a large number of databases stored your personal and financial data. While businesses use your information to give you a better online experience, scammers can also access it to steal your identity.
The graph below shows the growth of different types of identity theft from 2017 to 2021.
Criminals use many tricks to get your information. Scammers or hackers might send phishing emails pretending to be the IRS, snoop around social media pages for password clues, get info through a data breach, or simply buy information on the dark web.
Here are a few things you can do if you believe you are the victim of identity theft:
The internet makes our lives easier in many ways. Although identity theft is rising, you shouldn’t let online scams prevent you from enjoying these digital conveniences. Identity thieves are an unavoidable part of using the internet, but you can greatly limit your risk of falling victim to cybercrime if you know what to watch out for and you’re smart online.
Recognizing the signs of identity theft can help you stay ahead of fraudsters, and investing in McAfee Identity Protection services can offer another layer of protection. When you sign up for our identity protection services, you get perks like $1 million in identity theft protection insurance and email address and bank account monitoring. With our help, you can continue to use the internet with confidence.
The post A Guide to Identity Theft Statistics for 2022 appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Hands down, children look to their parents to keep them safe online more than anyone else, which begs the question—what’s a parent to do?
Our recent study on connected families found that nearly three-quarters of children said their parents were best suited to teach them about staying safe online, nearly twice than teachers at school (39%) and more than twice over for online resources (34%). Parents recognize their role as a protector online as well, with an overwhelming 90% of parents worldwide agreeing that they’re the primary source.
However, our study also found that parents could be taking more steps to protect themselves online, let alone taking steps for their children. In fact, when looking at how parents protect themselves and then if they protect their children the same way, a distinct gap appears.
Figures that were already low for relatively straightforward and relatively easily employed safety measures drop yet lower for children—such as installing antivirus software, protecting the computer with a password, or sticking to reputable online stores when shopping.
For example, on computers and laptops, note the 11% drop in antivirus usage, the 14% drop in device password/passcode protection, and the 9% drop in regular updates to the operation system.
This trend continues when the study looked at mobile device protection for parents and children. The numbers were similarly low, and sometimes lower than the rate of protection on PCs and laptops. For example, while 56% of parents said that they protect their child’s smartphone with a password or passcode, only 42% said they do the same for their child’s smartphone—a further 14% drop.
Across the board, parents reported protecting a child’s smartphone to a lesser degree than they protect a child’s computer or laptop—notably when it comes to installing antivirus on phones, to a figure of 19% less (57% to 38%).
What’s striking about this is how tweens and teens access the internet today. Our report found that 74% of them said that their smartphone was their most important device (followed by their gaming console at 68%). Moreover, the rate at which they use their smartphones indicates that these devices are their primary onramp to the internet. By ages 15 to 16, some 90% of children worldwide report using a smartphone.
Given these findings, two important points stand out for parents:
Misconceptions about online protection may play a role in these lax measures. Two additional findings may indicate why this is:
Both perceptions deny the reality that smartphones, and the people using them, are subject to hacks and attacks just like with any other device that connects to the internet. As such, smartphones call for protection too.
So, what’s a parent to do? They can take a few basic actions that will go a long way toward safeguarding themselves and their families online:
It used to be that we could load antivirus on our devices and go on our way with confidence. That’s not the case anymore. While antivirus is still a cornerstone of protection, it’s just a part of overall online protection. Comprehensive online protection software protects more than your computer or smartphone, it protects you.
For example, ours offers all-in-one protection for your personal info and privacy for peace of mind against data breaches—along with further features that can remove your data from some of the riskiest data broker sites that are selling it online. Other features include an online protection score that shows you just how strong your security is, along with simple guidance that can help seal up any gaps.
In all, online protection is the place to start when looking after yourself and your family online, whether that’s on a computer, laptop, or phone—with particular emphasis on phones, given the way parents and children alike rely on them so strongly.
Identity theft can affect anyone, even the youngest of children. Our study found that 15% of children experienced attempted account theft, while 28% of parents reported it happening to them. An identity protection service like ours can monitor your family’s accounts and personal info for unauthorized or suspicious activity—and help you restore a compromised identity with the help of a pro.
In and above using online protection software, there’s also the security of your devices to consider too. After all, devices can get lost or stolen. Take steps to protect your devices by ensuring they’re locked with a PIN or other protection like facial recognition. For your apps, use two-factor authentication wherever possible for extra protection should your device end up in someone else’s hands.
Similarly, you can take steps to protect your online accounts by using strong, unique passwords for each one. That means no repeats. This makes it far more difficult for hackers to compromise multiple accounts, such that if one password is compromised in a data breach, any potential damage is limited to just that one account in question.
Taking care of that yourself can be a lot of work, given all the accounts you likely have accounts across all the shopping and banking, not to mention your apps. It gets even more involved when you add all your children’s accounts into the mix. Yet there’s good news, a password manager can do all the work by creating and storing strong, unique passwords for you.
Updating your operating systems and apps can keep you current with the latest features and enhancements, and help you keep one step ahead of hackers as well. Many updates to operating systems and apps include security fixes and enhancements, which can keep bad actors from taking advantage of any exploits or loopholes on your devices. Many devices and apps make it easy with an auto-update feature. If any of yours offer auto-updating, take advantage.
Completely aside from software, apps, and updates, another way to keep your kids safe online is through conversation. When talking with them about their day, weave in a few questions about what’s happening online. What are their favorite games and apps right now? What shows are they watching? Is there a funny post or video they want to share?
Questions like these, simple as they are, can make talking about their life online seem more normal—the ups and downs of it alike—and provide you with opportunities that will help you foster strong decision-making skills that they can carry into adulthood.
With our study uncovering a clear gap in protection, parents can rest assured they can close it with a few relatively straightforward steps, making everyone in the household safer than before.
This was just one of several findings from our global report on connected families. Others include noteworthy differences across nations, such as which nations report the highest levels of cyberbullying and which nation has nearly 100% of its young children saying they use a smartphone regularly. Yet more findings reveal insights into screen time, video game usage, and a breakdown of the top online activities for teens—and many more ways families are growing up together through their lives online.
Again, what’s a parent to do in light of all this?
Our blog is a great place to start. It offers parents and families a terrific resource when they have questions about life online, along with further resources about online protection that simply make for good reading. Our aim is to help you get thinking about what’s best for your family and the steps you can take to see it through, all so that you can make everyone’s time online safer and more enjoyable.
The post What’s a Parent to Do? Closing the Protection Gap between You and Your Children. appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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