Cyber security and children: Kaspersky organises Safer Internet Day

10th Feb was ‘Safer Internet Day’, and to celebrate the occasion, Kaspersky Lab held an event titled ‘Cyber security and Children’ at Cambridge School in Mumbai, part of the Ryan International Group of institutions.

Through a presentation and participation by both the students and their parents, Kaspersky Lab spread awareness of online threats and ways in which the digital environment can be navigated safe and securely. A wide range of topics were covered such as Managing Your Digital Footprint, Safe Social Networking and Tips to Protect Your Smartphone to name a few. The idea was to bring the entire family into the conversation because once you’re on a home WiFi network, a father’s smartphone and a child’s iPad are both equally vulnerable to cyber criminals.

Kaspersky Kids, an awareness initiative on cyber security issues for children was launched in July 2014 in the presents of Kaspersky Lab Founder, Eugene Kaspersky and Mr. Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan International Group of institutions. Since the launch Kaspersky Lab has been regularly undertaking cyber security education program to sensitize parents, teachers and students on digital threats, through interactive content and contest, Kaspersky Kids has impacted more than 1,25,000 students.

Recent research by Kaspersky Lab reported that young children often surf the internet in search of games, toys and apps without realizing the threats environments. It is due to reasons like these that Kaspersky Lab wanted to bring awareness to the children and their parents.

Altaf Halde, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab-South Asia had this to say upon the closing of the event: “The children are really the ones that are going to shape the internet tomorrow into something bigger and hopefully, better. They are usually given access to the internet to do what they will, without the proper guidance, leading to risky interactions and situations in the digital world. We must take steps in providing them with this kind of awareness and Kaspersky Kids is a step in that direction.