Seeing a data breach affect millions of users is getting worryingly common at the moment. This is made even worse when those millions of users could be minors.
We’ve seen, and covered, a great number of data breaches this year. The advice is often the same: use secure unique passwords, don’t click on dodgy email links, etc. etc.
This week however was a little different: a database housing 3.3 million user accounts was discovered online by researcher Chris Vickery.
This database appears to be from sanriotown.com, the official online community for Hello Kitty, and seems to have ties to a number of other Hello Kitty portals.
Mark James, ESET IT Security Specialist, discusses data breaches and why adults have a responsibility to educate their children in general cyber awareness.
If you’re looking for a fun way to teach your kids about cyber security then you should check out SaferInternet.com.
“More and more common…”
“Data breaches these days are becoming more and more common but it’s always more of a concern when the information is likely to contain details about minors.
“As adults we get inundated with emails to click here or sign up here and most will end up in the recycle bin but children are a lot more susceptible to an email that reads “Click here – for that new in game item” or new website that promises to give them something they don’t already have but NEED to own.
“The fact that our children are getting their own email addresses and having access to a greater number of online devices younger and younger poses a real threat when this type of data is found.”
“Educate our children…”
“We need to ensure more than ever that we educate our children on the importance of engaging us and seeking help and guidance when dealing with emails.
“Ensuring all devices are kept up to date and making sure a good internet security product is installed where possible will help combat any later attempts at using this data for malware infection.
“Make sure you are very wary of any company asking for more info or to validate details that have already been submitted.
“Companies need to understand that all data has a value, especially information about minors, I know it’s easy to state that an adult MUST help you sign up and a minimum age is required to use your services but when has that ever stopped someone?
“Yes we are responsible for our children but you are also responsible for doing as much as you possibly can to protect that data if you’re going to request and store it electronically.”
How do you teach your kids about internet safety?
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