When keeping children safe online, 92% of UK parents consider the ability to block inappropriate content as the most valuable feature of internet security software, according to new research from consumer security company, BullGuard.
It’s an important point to note as we’re set to observe the International Day of Families on May 15. This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.
There is a wide range of unhealthy material that children can inadvertently be exposed to online such as adult or sexual content, controversial content such as criminal activity, cults, hate and intolerance and illegal drugs websites. This also includes exposure to inappropriate pop-up ads, and alcohol, tobacco and gambling sites.
BullGuard carried out a survey among 10,000 UK consumers to establish their views about online protection. 92% of respondents who are parents said blocking children’s access to inappropriate content was their overriding priority.
A further 62% said monitoring children’s activity online was their main reason for using parental control software while 49% said setting limits around internet usage was their priority.
“Today’s children are true digital natives, growing up with technology as a natural feature of their environment,” said Paul Lipman, CEO at consumer security company, BullGuard.
“The internet opens up endless opportunities for children and it’s positive to see from our research that parents are becoming even more savvy when it comes to doing all they can to protect children from the negative aspects of the online world.”
The survey also revealed that 66% of people have used a free antivirus solution in the past – and of those who decided to switch from free AV to a paid-for cybersecurity solution, 65% said it was because they wanted better protection and 61% said they felt safer using paid-for cybersecurity protection.
In recognition and support of International Day of Families, BullGuard is offering 90 day’s FREE trial of BullGuard Internet Security to help keep parents, their children and their families stay safe online.
BullGuard has also released a valuable Parents’ Guide to Protecting Children Online.
It’s packed with practical advice and tips to help parents keep their children safe online.
