Parents always want to keep their children as safe as possible, and part of that safety comes from taking extra precautions when it comes to the things children can and cannot do while online. This is a new world for parents though, as when they were younger, the technology that is available today simply did not exist. Parents of yesteryear did not have to worry about things such as hackers, social media, and the similar cyber worries that are facing today’s generation. It is a conundrum for many parents. They want those children to be safe, but they also understand that cloud computing is here now and will be in the future. Kids need to learn to use it properly.
With guidance from parents, it is possible to improve safety levels when it comes to cloud computing. However, it is very important that the parents understand the real dangers that are there.
Too Much Information
Of course, one of the biggest dangers as parents is the fear that your kids will simply put too much information out there in the cloud, and that someone may access that information and data. Whether it is photos, personal information, or even financial information, the danger is there.
One of the issues that many kids have is over sharing, and many adults are actually guilty of this as well. Whether they are posting online or even just storing information, they might not always be as careful as they should be with the information they have.
Shared Access
This risk ties in with putting up and storing too much information. With many cloud applications out there, shared access is common. While this can be beneficial in some cases, it can also cause some problems. If a child has cloud storage and their peers have access to the information and files, it can cause a serious security risk. It becomes difficult to determine just who has access to the files, for example. Peers, who may or may not be friends of your child tomorrow, could have access to information and photos that they shouldn’t, which could cause issues at school and on social media.
Mitigating the Risks
Is cloud computing always dangerous for children? It can be, but it can be dangerous for adults as well, if they are not using common sense. It’s important to make sure that you are always careful about what you let your child post to the web, as well as to cloud computing services. Parents need to talk with their children about the type of information that they can put online and store in the cloud. Parents should always have the final say on what can and cannot go up, and parents should always have access to the cloud accounts of their children.
With caution, the cloud can be quite safe.