I was disappointed to see a BBC article reporting that hackers are increasingly targeting children’s gaming websites to spread viruses. While some websites are set up specifically to spread viruses, the report states that these are legitimate sites which have been infected. It is believed that hackers are choosing to target children’s websites because children may be less likely than adults to spot something suspicious.
This is probably particularly important for parents of younger children. Our Life Online research found that 68% of 6-11 year olds play games online at least once a week, with 30% doing so every day or almost every day. In fact – on average – children aged 6-11 years spend an hour a day playing games on the internet.
Our research also found that downloading a virus onto the home computer is jointly parents’ biggest concern about their children online along with accidentally looking at inappropriate content. This perhaps isn’t a surprise when you find out that nearly a quarter of children aged 6-17 actually have downloaded a virus onto their PC or laptop. Interestingly this is slightly more of a concern for dads than it is for mums (63% versus 55%) whereas looking at inappropriate content is more of a concern for mums (62% versus 56%).
All of this serves to highlight the importance of making sure you and your children are protected from viruses, especially as 17% of six year olds and 39% of seven year olds in broadband connected homes regularly surf the internet unaccompanied.
Last year we launched HomeSafe, our free network level security service, to help TalkTalk homes protect every device using the broadband connection by warning them if they are about to visit a website that’s infected with malware. It also helps parents control access to the types of websites they want their children to visit and can block access to social networking and online gaming websites during homework time. It’s easy to set up in My Account and, because its built into the network itself, it doesn’t have to be downloaded or installed on different devices. In addition to HomeSafe, TalkTalk’s Super Safe Boost provides protection against security threats, viruses and will remove existing infections, whether you’re connected in the home or out and about.
No technical solution alone will be able to offer you 100% protection for your children, and that’s why its really important to discuss with your children the benefits and the risks associated with the internet. There’s lots of information in our online security hub which can help with this. But with HomeSafe and the Super Safe Boost, TalkTalk customers can be assured that they have the UK’s most complete safety and security offering.
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