Someone recently asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, and I had to think about it for a few minutes. I certainly don’t need any more stuff. However, if I could name one gift that would make me absolutely giddy, it would be getting a chunk of my privacy back. Like most people, the internet knows way too much about me — my age, address, phone

As a parent, it’s hard to keep track of what your child is up to at all times of the day. It becomes even more difficult when they start creating an identity online. While an online presence can encourage social connections, create a sense of belonging, allow creativity and enhance globalization, it can also have negative effects. A kid’s false sense of secu

While we talk about online safety each week on this blog, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), a time to come together and turn up the volume on the digital safety and security conversation worldwide. To kick off that effort, here’s a comprehensive Device and App Safety Guide to give your family quick ways to boost safety and secu

Over the years, I’ve been the star of a number of sub-stellar parenting moments. More than once, I found myself reprimanding my kids for doing things that kids do — things I never stopped to teach them otherwise. Like the time I reprimanded my son for not thanking his friend’s mother properly before we left a birthday party. He was seven when his

Adding hashtags to a social post has become second nature. In fact, it’s so common, few of us stop to consider that as fun and useful as hashtags can be, they can also have consequences if we misuse them. But hashtags are more than add-ons to a post, they are power tools. In fact, when we put the pound (#) sign in front of a word, we turn that word int

With winter almost gone, now is the perfect time to start planning your annual spring clean. When we think about our yearly sort out, most of us think about decluttering our chaotic linen cupboards or the wardrobes that we can’t close. But if you want to minimise the opportunities for a hacker to get their hands on your private online information then a clea

Just a few weeks into the new school year and, already, reports of malicious cyberattacks in schools have hit the headlines. While you’ve made digital security strides in your home, what concerns if any should you have about your child’s data being compromised at school? There’s a long and short answer to that question. The short answer is don’t

Even though most of us are aware of the potential risks, we continue to journal and archive our daily lives online publically. It’s as if we just can’t help it. Our kids are just so darn cute, right? And, everyone else is doing it, so why not join the fun? One example of this has become the digital tradition of parents sharing first-day back-

I can’t recall the last time I gave my teenage daughter cash for anything. If she needs money for gas, I Venmo it. A Taco Bell study break with the roommates? No problem. With one click, I transfer money from my Venmo account to hers. She uses a Venmo credit card to make her purchase. To this mom, cash apps may be the best thing to happen to parenting

Even if you’ve set up parental controls on your devices, your teen is just as tech-savvy as you are, if not more. They’ve been raised in a digital age where surfing the web and social media use are second-nature. They can easily disarm a simple pop-up blocker or clear their browser history. So how do you protect them from the Internet when your original safe

From May 2018, a new data protection law – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – will come into force, designed to better protect the privacy of European citizens. GDPR gives consumers a number of rights over the personal data that companies collect, and forces those businesses to better protect the information too. If a company does breach the GDP

Earlier this week iRobot CEO Colin Angle shared with Reuters that the data collected by iRobot devices (such as Roomba) over the years may eventually be shared with third parties. Even though iRobot’s robotic vacuum cleaners are not as smart as R2-D2, some of the high-end models, such as the $900 Roomba 980 robotic vacuum cleaner, are known to contain sophis

It can be surprising for parents that someone like Pewdie Pie has a net worth of millions of dollars, or that watching someone else play videogames is a billion dollar business thanks to streaming companies like Youtube. The types of videos that young children gravitate towards often surprise us, as the trends are constantly changing. To avoid any nasty shoc

How “13 Reasons Why” can help fight cyberbullying The Netflix TV series 13 Reasons Why has become a worldwide smash hit with teenagers drawn into the tale of a teenage girl’s suicide. Dealing with powerful issues like sexual assault, drugs, bullying and of course, suicide, the program has won praise from critics and viewers alike. The dark, adult tone of 13

From the youngest to the oldest in your household, every member of the family uses the Internet and apps to inform, entertain and maintain contact with their loved ones. This Sunday, May 15th, is International Day of Families and to celebrate, here are some basic tips to keep your family safe while navigating the web. Updates Make sure that your operating s