Kids in the digital landscape

Kids these days, having immense access to the digital landscape, are drawn more toward cybercrimes. It is vital for a parent to constantly monitor their activities over their digital and internet usage, making sure that they are not influenced by the wrong kind of activities that might get them caught in unnecessary cyber activities.

Kaspersky’s research on Parents’ and young consumer’s attitude toward cybersecurity

According to recent research by Kaspersky on young consumers’ and parents’ attitudes to cybersecurity, a tenth of kids under 17 believe they can successfully hack into websites or into someone’s online account. The study found that less than 10% of parents were aware of the cybercrimes and the number of children that may be involved as perpetrators behind these cybercrimes. The research points out that children are at a high risk of being manipulated into such illegal activities during their summer breaks, as they lack the constant supervision of their parents while using their gadgets.

Only 44% of the parents who participated in Kaspersky’s study said that they had implemented an age restriction on their kid’s devices, and 32% were aware of their online activities. It also highlighted a misconception among adults and youngsters that hacking is a victimless crime. 60% of children said they would feel guilty if they stole money from their parents’ wallets, but 29% said they were worried about using a looted credit card online without permission.

What the study revealed?

The principal security researcher at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team, David Emm, shared his view on this study, saying that hacking an online account, in the beginning, might look simple. Still, the consequences can be severe, leading to disruption of business operations, governments, and vital public services such as hospitals. This behaviour can unknowingly expose children to illegal online content, such as firearms and drugs, without even having to leave their rooms.

Young hackers who participated in this study said that they were just 12 when they were introduced to phone hacking programs by their friends while they were playing online. They added saying that, to hack, all they required was access to a decent device and an internet connection. They described how they initially started their journey in hacking and said they looked up on ‘how to create viruses’ YouTube videos. From there, it was just a matter of time before they realized how easy hacking was and thought it was terrific. They also carried on breaking into school records to share them online just for fun.

Clinical Psychology behind kids drawn to hacking

A clinical psychologist and game designer, Kelli Dunlap, says kids are initially drawn to hacking because they want to pursue bug bounty hunting. After all, it is fun. This is now a vital part of ethical hacking. These little bits of entertainment and harmless activities caused by peer pressure later turn into risky habits. She also added that even though it is hard to keep an eye on the children’s activities, parents should be open to communicate with their children on social media without assumption or accusation.

Talking about these highly challenging topics is essential. Anger or judgment will always result in the child shutting down, becoming defensive, or even driving them toward the actions their loved ones want to protect them from.

We at StrongBox.Academy focus on motivating youngsters in the right direction by encouraging and training them with our cybersecurity programs to learn ethical hacking and build a career on it. Don’t miss the opportunity to become the next best cybersecurity expert in the country.