Back to School Tips for Parents: Children’s Privacy and Security

According to BKReader in Brooklyn, with children heading back to school, the NYS Division of Consumer Protection wants parents to be aware of children’s privacy and security. Before shopping this season, parents should also be aware of how to spot back to school scams.

“Back-to-school shopping is the second largest spending event for parents, after the holidays, which makes it critically important for parents to know how to safeguard against scams to protect their privacy and finances,” said Secretary of State Robert J Rodriguez.

Pay close attention to your child’s personal information:

• Protect documents that contain a child’s personal information. Understand where your child’s information is stored. Ask how after-school organizations and sports clubs secure their records. Are digital records connected to the internet and, if so, are they encrypted? Are physical records in locked in filing cabinets? Who has access?
• Be careful when providing identifying information to after-school activities and sports clubs upon registration. If asked for a Social Security number (SSN), inquire why it is needed. Some organizations include the SSN request as a formality, and it may not be mandatory.
• Label books, backpacks and lunches with the student’s full name on the inside. Using initials on the outside is okay, but even just first names, on the outside can create an unsafe situation.
• Discuss internet safety tips with children. Remind them to be careful about opening attachments and suspicious emails.
• Both parents and students should be careful on all social media platforms: don’t overshare. Avoid sharing personal information including full names, addresses, phone numbers, or even where they go to school. Social media posts often reveal sensitive information unintentionally. Cybercriminals look for content that can reveal answers to security questions used to reset passwords. This makes accounts vulnerable to identity theft.

Avoid back to school shopping scams:

Back-to-school shopping is the second largest spending event for parents. Shopping scams can often start with a fake website, mobile app or, increasingly, a social media ad. This year, smartphone shopping is on the rise. The DCP urges consumers to take note of common scams while shopping.

• Protect your identity when shopping online. Ensure transactions take place over a secure connection. Make sure the website is secure by identifying a padlock symbol by the URL. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to log in to online accounts.

For the full article: https://bkreader.com/2022/08/18/back-to-school-tips-for-parents-childrens-privacy-and-security/

For other articles related to children’s privacy: https://consumerprivacynews.com/president-biden-urges-for-stronger-privacy-protections-for-children%ef%bf%bc/