As many of us who work in cybersecurity know, just as you can do good or bad in the real world, so you can do good or bad in cyberspace.
There’s a whole new world of digital crime out there — but you can and should do something about it. That’s the kind of conversation we need to start having with the children in our lives.
Let’s get the conversation started tonight at over your family’s dinner, in the car on the way to practice or maybe when you’re talking with your kids about their homework.
Bad guys live in cyberspace. They’re called viruses, worms and Trojans and they want to get into our computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. And there are bad guys, like The Botmaster, who infect computers with malware and then use those devices to launch attacks. How would you feel if your computer was used to harm good people?
What would it look like to be inside a computer? How would you travel? Who might you meet along the way? One sneaky guy you might meet is the Spearphisher! He lures you with promises, sends nice emails wanting you to click on fun links, and sometimes pops up in a special screen.
Just like some strangers walking down the street or on a playground, there are bad people in cyberspace too. And they might just offer you nice things, but don’t click! Always tell a trusted adult immediately if something online looks strange or is too good to be true.
Remember if you don’t talk with your kids about the bad guys who live in cyberspace, the Botmaster wins.