For privacy, it makes sense to cover your webcam. It can be as basic as putting a strip of opaque tape over the cam dot on your laptop, or a sticky strip (used to mark pages in a book) or a cloth cover – even a baby’s sock!Some webcams have a ‘door’ in the case which you can keep closed unless you’re using it. Cheap rigid plastic webcam covers that slide to open or close, can be found online.It would be wise to try and discourage cameras in bedrooms or bathrooms. However too many people including adults, take their phones with them into the bathroom!Encourage children to take care of their phone – it might get splashed on or worse still fall into a toilet (this does happen. But seriously – children have shared photos of little siblings in the bath which have been subsequently misused online, or provocative shots of themselves that bathroom mirrors seem to encourage in the privacy of that space.
Secure your WiFi.
Hackers can access your personal devices if you are using insecure network connections. Check that your WiFi and home networks are secure, as explained in Module 1 of our course Fostering in a Digital Age.Do you and children you care for use public Wi-fi? if it’s public, it’s less secure. Someone could gain control of your device by simply logging onto the same network and hack your device. Never log on to bank accounts or other private accounts from public wi-fi.If wi-fi access is too restrictive at home, it can drive kids to use public wi-fi in shops, shopping centres, buses and other public spaces.At home, if your network is large enough, consider installing a firewall or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to increase security.
