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Woburn, MA – April 25, 2018 – According to research from Kaspersky Lab, today’s parents are growing more worried about the threats their children might face online, as well as the amount of time their children spend on the internet. The research revealed that more than half of parents (51%) feel that online threats to their children are increasing, and one-in-three parents (33%) restrict the amount of time their children spend online.

Children today are growing up in a digital world, often able to access the internet from a young age through a variety of connected devices. Therefore, the younger generation is increasingly faced with online threats, as well as issues like internet addiction, interacting with strangers or viewing inappropriate content. The resulting inability for children to disconnect from the online world is quickly becoming a key concern for parents.

Kaspersky Lab’s research found that the younger generation’s reliance on digital devices has led to a third of parents (33%) worrying about internet addiction. This is a valid concern, with 12 percent of parents reporting that their child (under age 18) is addicted to the internet. Additionally, 36 percent of parents worry about their children viewing inappropriate or explicit content online, and 32 percent are concerned about children communicating with strangers.

In response to these concerns, many parents are attempting to limit their children’s internet access to avoid the source of threats. However, limiting time spent online doesn’t necessarily make children immune to these dangers. Kaspersky Lab found that over a 12-month period, nearly half of children were faced with at least one online threat (44%), with 12 percent accessing inappropriate content and 10 percent coming into contact with malicious software and viruses.

An alternative option for parents to increase protection could be to concentrate on supporting their children through education. Thirty-seven percent of parents regularly talk to their kids to teach them about online threats, and 31 percent supervise their children when they are online, offering opportunities to highlight any threats that appear or helping them steer clear of risky websites.

“Parents want to keep their children safe, but simply restricting access to the online world isn’t necessarily the best way to do this,” said Dmitry Aleshin, VP for product marketing, Kaspersky Lab. “Education and communication both play a huge part in ensuring children use the internet responsibly and safely, but it is also imperative to use software to bolster defenses. Parental control technology can help reduce the risks, enabling children to safely explore all the positive aspects of the internet and develop their digital skills without having to worry about cyber-threats.”

Kaspersky Safe Kids is designed to help parents take a more effective approach to shielding their children from the dangers that lurk online. With the solution, parents can choose either to block children’s access to certain apps and websites, or to help kids become more aware of the dangers for themselves by warning them that the sites or apps they are about to access are risky and may contain dangerous content. From imposing time limits to keeping track of online activities, Safe Kids can provide the additional layer of care that parents need to fully protect their children against the threats that exist and continue to evolve online.

Visit the Kaspersky Lab website to find out more about Kaspersky Safe Kids. Click here to read the full 2017 Consumer Security Risks Survey report: “Not logging on, but living on.”

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company operating in the market for over 20 years. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

 

Media Contact
Meghan Rimol
781.503.2671
meghan.rimol@kaspersky.com

Kaspersky Lab research finds parents limiting internet access to shield children from online threats

According to research from Kaspersky Lab, today’s parents are growing more worried about the threats their children might face online, as well as the amount of time their children spend on the internet.
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