Sunil Arora

In our modern world, where technology is advancing rapidly, the concept of a "smart home" has become increasingly popular. With the convenience and automation that smart home devices offer, it's no wonder many families are embracing this new wave of technology. However, along with the benefits come potential risks to our privacy and security. In this article, we will explore the importance of protecting your family's privacy in the age of smart homes and provide you with actionable steps to ensure a secure and confident experience. Understanding the Risks : As we welcome smart devices into our homes, it's crucial to understand their potential security and privacy risks. From voice-activated assistants that constantly listen to our conversations to connected cameras that may capture more than intended, every smart device has the potential to compromise our privacy if not adequately secured. Securing Your Smart Home Network : The foundation of a secure smart home li...

  Digital Security for Family and Kids - Part 8 Unlocking a World of Knowledge: Free Courses from Harvard University for Your Kids' Summer Break! Summer break is just around the corner, and as parents, we often wonder how to keep our kids engaged, entertained, and intellectually stimulated during this time. Well, here's some fantastic news for you!  Harvard University, renowned for its academic excellence, offers a range of free online security courses that can captivate your children's curiosity and ignite their passion. Let's explore some courses that can provide your kids with a unique and enriching summer learning experience alongside their sports and games classes! There are 120 free courses available from Harvard University. These courses are in various areas, such as science, technology, history, arts & design, business, and humanity. I have highlighted five courses that will suit young learners interested in technology. 1. Introduction to Programming with Sc...

  Digital Security for Family and Kids - Part 7 Online Gaming Safety:  Ensuring a Secure and Positive Gaming Experience for Kids Online gaming has become an immensely popular pastime for children and adolescents, offering entertainment, social interaction, and a sense of adventure. However, parents need to prioritize their children's safety and security while engaging in online gaming activities. This article aims to provide detailed guidance on creating a secure and positive gaming environment for kids, empowering parents with the knowledge to protect their children's online experiences. Understanding online gaming risks: It's crucial to understand the potential risks associated with online gaming to ensure the safety of children. These risks include: Cyberbullying: Discuss the prevalence of cyberbullying in gaming communities and explain the importance of recognizing and reporting such behavior. Inappropriate content: Address the issue of age-inappropriate content and the...

Digital Security for Family and Kids - Part 6 Online Privacy and Security Learn how to educate your children on online privacy and security In today's digital age, kids spend more and more time online, meaning they need to learn how to stay safe and secure online. As a parent, you must teach your kids about online privacy and security. In this article, we'll share some tips & tricks on online privacy and security. What is Online Privacy and Security? Before we dive into how to teach your kids about online privacy and security, let's define what these terms mean. Online privacy refers to the right to control your personal information and how others use it. On the other hand, online security relates to the measures taken to protect your personal information from unauthorized access or theft. Why is Online Privacy and Security Important ? Online privacy and security are essential for several reasons: First, kids must understand that the internet is a public space, and anyo...

  Digital Security for Family and Kids - Part 5  Netflix Parental Control As a parent and caregivers, we are always visible and mindful of what our young family members and kids are watching to ensure they watch age-appropriate content online. Other than Internet surfing, and social media, they watch TV or other online streaming services for movies and TV shows.  Netflix is one of the most popular streaming/TV services and has 226.1 Million (as per Q1 2022 news reports) subscribers worldwide. Netflix offers great content for viewers of all ages. Netflix has excellent entertainment content, movies, TV shows, games, and documentaries. However, there is content unsuitable for young family members and kids. Netflix provides parental controls for parents to control the movies, games, and TV shows kids can watch. Parents can create separate profiles for kids and configure maturity ratings suitable to their age. Netflix has the following rating for Games: Netflix has the followi...

  Digital Security for Family and Kids - Part 4  Apple Devices Parental Control Children may face various technologies and Internet risks when they use devices. For example, they may get exposed to inappropriate or adult content unsuitable for young brains, which may negatively impact them. You may have many Apple devices at home if you are Apple's technology and device lover. Likewise, your family members may use these at home, including kids of all ages. Parents can quickly set up rules to limit the content, websites, apps, and other privacy feature to ensure safe access to Apple devices, apps, and the Internet. Apple provides several native parental control features to help parents control their kids' iPad, iPhones, and iPods. Set Content & Privacy Restrictions Prevent iTunes & App Store purchases Restrict built-in apps and features Prevent explicit content and content ratings Prevent web content Restrict Siri web search Restrict Game Center Allow or restrict change...

Digital Security for Kids - Part 3 Google Family Link As per one survey, the average age for kids to get a mobile phone is ten years. Children get access to many different types of devices at home. Other than computers & laptops, mobile phones and tablets are the most common devices children use or own. Many (Most) mobile phones and tablets run on Android, an open-source operating system. Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world. Google Family Link is a family and parental control service offered by Google. You can set up the digital family ground rules with Google Family Link. Google Family Link has several valuable features that help control kids' android-based mobile phones, tablets, and Chromebooks (ChromeOS). In addition, it helps to manage up to 6 kids or family members (up to the age of 13 years) Google accounts. Google Family Links includes the following features: Manage and secure child account Set screen time limit Allow or Block access...

Digital Security for Kids- Part 2   We store all kinds of personal and other critical information on our devices. For example, home computers, laptops, and mobile devices contain family and private photos and documents, potentially personal documents, educational records, and banking and financial information. Therefore, it is crucial to secure the devices to protect them from harmful software, virus, malware, and other threats.  Many laptops and mobile device manufacturers provide several security features for these devices. The followings are the top ten easy-to-do settings to secure your kids and other home devices. Enable authentication on mobile and laptop devices - I know it is an extra step to access your devices, but it provides essential & minimum protection. You can easily enable password or PIN authentication on all types of mobile and laptops. Secure your accounts & login details - Don't share your password or other account details with anyone. If required,...

Digital Security for Kids- Part 1 The covid-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives. Not just the adults, it has impacted kids of all ages, including their schools, education, and how they interact with their peers and friends. Children are spending time on screen more than ever. In addition, many kids have their mobile or handheld devices.  This blog series is focused on digital security for kids. I am the father of two lovely kids. So I can completely understand what parents and guardians go through to ensure their children access secure and age-appropriate websites and applications. If you wonder how to secure, monitor, and protect your child's computer, Internet, and application access, you are on the right article. Several tools are available with parental control features with other primary endpoints (laptop, desktop, tablet, phones) security features such as antivirus scanning, VPN, password manager, secure data or file removal, website rating/scanning, etc. These ...