Survey: Parents Not Proactive Enough About Security

Though most parents have spoken to their kids about risky online behavior, less than half are monitoring that behavior to ensure their kids aren’t put at risk, according to a nationwide survey by CA, Inc.

Survey: Parents Not Proactive Enough About Security

In addition, the elder demographic, which often has the most assets and savings, are far less concerned about important aspects of secure computer usage than their younger counterparts. Though 90 percent of respondents said they worry about the security of their information and 57 percent were worried about identity theft in particular, only a third of those ages 50-59 worried about the security of downloads. Those over 60 were half as likely as those ages 30-39 to worry about surfing the Web in public-like at WiFi hotspots.

Security fears are largely regional, also. Adults in the Pacific region were much more afraid of identity theft than those in the Midwest and West.

But where adults are really dropping the ball is when monitoring their teens. Forty-two percent of teenage boys do not set up privacy controls on their social networking profiles. Almost three-quarters of teenage girls have posted personal pictures online. Another survey says 20 percent of teenage girls have posted nude pictures of themselves.

Boys were 13 percent less likely to verify the identity of an online contact than girls, nearly a mirror of gender differences among adults when it comes to secure online shopping. Sixty-four percent women compared to 55 percent of men said they were concerned about shopping securely online.

Overall, 87 percent of teens are using social networks. Of them, 38 percent post their education information, 32 percent disclose their email address, 28 percent reveal their birthdate, and 19 percent display their full names.

“For 20 years I’ve fought against creeps that prey on the vulnerable and particularly those that prey on children,” said John Walsh, the “America’s Most Wanted” Star who teamed up with CA to spread the word about online safety.

“It is imperative that we all take measures to protect ourselves and our families from becoming victims. With our kids, in particular, when they post personal information online, predators have everything they need to contact teens or steal their identities. In fact, nearly 50 percent of teens have been contacted by someone they didn’t know on the Internet.”

The good news is that 91 percent of parents have spoken to their kids about talking to strangers online, 88 percent have discussed the risks of visiting inappropriate sites, and 85 percent of parents have lectured about protecting personal information on social networks. But, says, George Kafkarkou, SVP for CA, parents aren’t following up.

“What is surprising about these survey results is that despite parents’ awareness of the online dangers of social networking sites, only 40 percent of them are monitoring how much time their child spends online.

“Parents are not taking a proactive role in Internet oversight beyond a verbal warning. We’ve also noticed that as more seniors get online, they profess a general concern for Web safety but a lack of awareness about specific online risks.”

The vast majority have at least installed the proper security software, though. Eighty-six percent have installed anti-virus software, 81 percent block pop-ups, and 77 percent have installed anti-spyware programs. But only 30 percent have installed parental control software.