Back to school: Online safety tips you should know about

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As any proud parent would be, there's a moment of celebration when you send your child on to their next milestone for the next school year. But as things get back into gear, what are some online safety tips to help keep you and your family safe?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has multiple articles with tips on sharing back-to-school photos of your children and back-to-school internet safety tips.

Sharing back-to-school photos

As you share those precious back-to-school photos, the BBB wants to remind parents to be cautious about what you share.

Photo tips

• Avoid sharing personal details about your child. Back-to-school photos often involve kids holding a board with their full name, age, height, as well as other details. People or predators could use this information to commit identity theft or earn your child’s trust, the BBB said. 
  
• Leave off information about kids' schools. Even sharing the name of your child’s school, teacher, or grade level could make them a target for unscrupulous people. Not to mention, these details are often used as security questions for banking or credit card accounts.
  
• Double check your privacy settings. Review your social media account’s privacy settings regularly. Be mindful of whom can view your posts. You may want to remove personal information from your account that others can see, such as your telephone number or address.
  
• Watch out for phony friend requests. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers. Also, think twice before you accept a friend request from someone you are already connected with. It could be an imposter trying to access your information and friends list.

Back-to-school internet safety tips

Parents can look more into these tips from the BBB on how to help their children stay safe online and how to avoid being easy targets, according to this article from the BBB.

Internet safety tips

• Creating accounts on websites without permission: If your child is creating a social media account, BBB said some children may falsely create a birth date to meet the minimum age requirement. It is best to know what your child is doing online, as well as keeping track of the social media sites and accounts they have access to.
• Contests and giveaways: There are hefty amounts of personal information on contest and giveaway entry forms, the BBB said. Many are disguised as ways of collecting personal or financial information that could lead to identity theft. It is best to ensure your child doesn't have access to banking or credit card information, and be sure to supervise the filling out of any forms.
• Phishing: Just as adults receive spam and junk mail, children often get junk mail as well, the BBB said. Since they don't have much online experience, they might be more susceptible to clicking on links and answering questions they probably shouldn't. While some emails may be legitimate, parents should ensure there isn't a purchase from a fraudulent website or giving up personal information that can be tracked back to their home.
• Understanding apps: As children download apps to their various devices, like tablets or smartphones, the BBB said certain apps might collect and share personal information about your child or target them with ads. This could include some free apps that include paid features. This could lead to one hefty bill at the end of the month, the BBB said.
• File sharing size: Many websites allow children to download free media, and downloading those come with a risk of downloading a virus, the BBB said. This could lead to cyber theft.

Stranger Danger

Discussing "Stranger Danger" with your children is a must, whether your child is entering kindergarten or going into high school, according to an article from Cleveland Clinic.

Furthermore, the Cleveland Clinic article said kidnapping can happen when taking a nap or driving a car, and there is not a wrong age to stress the importance of staying away from people who can harm you.

• Start young: Teaching the "Stranger Danger" concept is a critical part of a child's development. It's just like learning to look both ways when crossing the street.
• Define "stranger": Parents should make sure their children know a stranger is anyone who is unfamiliar to them. This means even people who seem friendly.
• Choose any method: Cleveland Clinic suggests different ways some familiars can teach their children about "Stranger Danger" is role-playing and practicing different scenarios. Additionally, families can establish a family word code when anyone is sent to pick up your child, that way the child knows it's safe to get in the car. Identify safe adults, such as police officers, whom children can go to if they feel they're in danger. Make guidelines for being home alone as well.
• Be frank: The article said honesty is best when it comes to talking about "Stranger Danger." So, parents, don't withhold information or worry about scaring your children.