Using cyber security to protect children

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was passed by the United States Congress, and signed into law by the President George W Bush, in December 2000. CIPA requires certain K-12 schools and libraries to certify that they are enforcing an internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures.

Globally, only 33% of children and young people have internet access at home. But there is a significant gap between high-income and low-income countries, 87% coverage compared to 6%, respectively.[1] There were 41.19 million internet users in South Africa in January 2022. The age groups 5-12 and 13-18 years old collectively amount to 24.2% of this number, meaning that approximately 9.96 million children are internet users.[2]

In cybersecurityforme.com’s article on 'Importance of Cybersecurity in Education Sector (2022)'[3], it was stated that: “Cyber security awareness training is important because it teaches students how they can protect themselves from cyber attacks. Students will learn about phishing scams, malware, ransomware and other computer threats.”

Furthermore, the article highlighted that it is vital for schools to keep students safe from hackers by installing firewalls, malware protection and other protection.

Cyber security awareness for students also includes teaching them to be aware of the threats and risks that come with using technology. It also teaches them how to use technology safely and responsibly.

Some of the more predominant cyber threats include:

1. Identity theft or computer virus/malware infections caused by downloading content from unknown sources. This poses a threat to the user’s digital privacy and physical safety.

2. Cyber bullying happens through digital devices such as phones or computers. It often happens over social media, text, e-mail, instant messages and gaming. Cyber bullying often takes the form of sending or sharing harmful or mean content about someone to embarrass them. Sometimes this content is shared anonymously, making cyber bullying feel even more threatening.[4]

3. Stealing vital data. Privacy legislation (such as the POPI Act) has defined personal information as an essential asset that can’t be traded or sold without consent. “If this information falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to identity theft, which creates severe long-term consequences.”[4]

4. More rarely, kidnapping can occur. These can be either ransom kidnaps, which is when perpetrators demand money from the parents/the victim’s family before releasing them, or political kidnaps, which Z&Z Specialists Group describes as ‘capture and torture’ and tend to be committed by gangs and organised crime groups.

Some interesting facts on cyber bullying include:

• Twenty-one percent of children between the ages of 10 and 18 have been cyber bullied.
• Of all the social networks, kids on YouTube are the most likely to be cyber bullied at 79%, followed by Snapchat at 69%, TikTok at 64% and Facebook at 49% (2020).
• Children from lower-income households were twice as likely to be cyber bullied than kids from houses with higher annual incomes.[4]
• Students are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide if they have been cyber bullied.
• Thirty-seven percent of bullying victims develop social anxiety.
• Smartphones have made it possible to remain online around the clock, even when a child is nowhere near their PC or laptop. This has massively increased the time that people, especially teens, spend on the internet.
• Global awareness of cyber bullying is rising, but there are still plenty of adults around the world who have never even heard of it. Countries that lead the statistics are Sweden and Italy, both with a high 91% level of cyber bullying awareness, followed by Chile with 89% and South Africa with 88%.[5]

Shane Rheeder, Business Lead at CICT (an Elvey Group company and part of the Hudaco Group of companies), says parents and teachers are advised to educate themselves on the dangers of malware, phishing scams and ransomware attacks. This will provide them with the knowledge and tools needed to avoid becoming another cyber crime statistic.

While cyber security at schools is of vital importance in keeping young users safe online, compliance presents a real challenge for many organisations. Sophos’ comprehensive, easy-to-manage solutions offer a safe and secure online environment that is still a robust, powerful tool for learning:

• Safeguard minors from inappropriate content. Educational facilities can manage what content students and faculty access online with Sophos Firewall’s powerful web filtering policies. The firewall allows access to educational videos on YouTube with YouTube for Schools and ensures child-appropriate search engine results with SafeSearch option.
• Ensure safety of minors on electronic channels. Restrict inappropriate communication sites and social media sites with Sophos URL filter. Scans all files coming in through the web or email for malicious behaviour with Sophos Sandboxing. You can identify minors at risk and get details about their activities, including what and where they are posting or what sites they are visiting, with context-aware keyword filtering.
• Prevent unauthorised online access by minors. Identify inappropriate or rogue applications like Psiphon and block them with Sophos Firewall’s Synchronized Security endpoint integration. Sophos Firewall helps you identify risky users and behaviour and take immediate action against those who put themselves or your network at risk. Validate user identity and device health before granting access to resources with Sophos ZTNA.

“We take the safety of children very seriously at CICT, and we therefore stand 100% behind the capabilities of Sophos solutions to help protect children from online abuse, no matter what form it takes,” says Rheeder.

For more information, contact CICT, (+27) 010 590 6177, info@commercialict.co.za, www.commercialict.co.za

1 https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/youth_home_internet_access.aspx

2 https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-south-africa

3 https://cybersecurityforme.com/importance-of-cybersecurity-in-education/

4 https://www.security.org/resources/cyberbullying-facts-statistics/

5 https://dataprot.net/statistics/cyberbullying-statistics/