Protecting Your Family Online
4 min read
Cybersecurity is a critical part of our digital world, as the number of devices we use to stay connected has increased, and digital communication and social media usage have become a fundamental part of our daily lives. Thus, it is more important than ever to discuss internet safety with your kids and other young family members. The seven steps below outline best practices for protecting your family from cyber threats, which are on the rise.
1. START THE CONVERSATION EARLY
It is crucial to maintain a healthy dialogue with your children as their online behaviors change in relation to an ever-evolving digital landscape. We encourage you to have regular family conversations and to spend time together online. Teach your children how to safely and responsibly use the computer and internet, starting with the tips below.
- Do set expectations for appropriate use of the internet and social media, including time limits. Consider establishing a digital citizenship agreement
- Don't ignore privacy settings on your family’s devices
- Do teach responsible information sharing online: “Would I feel comfortable if my teachers, college admissions officers, or bosses saw this post?”
- Do pay attention to your child’s social media usage (platforms and posts)
- Do enable history browsing and parental controls to monitor usage
- Don't give administrator access to your children
2. PRACTICE STRONG PASSWORD HYGIENE
It is critical to teach your child to use unique, complex passwords—a great first step toward stopping bad actors.
- Do utilize long, memorable, and hard-to-guess pass phrases, such as a favorite song lyric
- Don't reuse passwords
- Do use two-factor authentication; in the case of younger children, the parent’s phone number should be used for greater control
- Don't record passwords on sticky notes or in notebooks, documents, or text messages
- Do consider a password application, such as LastPass, 1Password, or Dashlane, to help manage multiple passwords
- Don't use easily guessed passwords, such as “password” or “user”
3. PROTECT PERSONAL DEVICES
Configure devices securely and use a difficult-to-guess passcode as a backup to a biometric security measure, such as a thumbprint or Face ID.
- Do enable automatic screen locks and disable notification previews on a locked screen
- Don't share PINs and passwords with your children
- Do enable phone location tracking services, including location sharing with family and Emergency SOS
- Don't use email for long-term storage of sensitive information
- Do enable automatic updates for devices with security patches and software updates
- Don't rely on a single point of storage—instead, enable cloud storage from a reputable service, such as Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive
4. MONITOR ONLINE ACTIVITY
If your children have smartphones or tablets, consider configuring their devices to control app usage, website access, and purchases. Some tablets allow you to create parent-controlled profiles that restrict your children to preapproved apps and to install parental control software with whitelisting capabilities.
- Do understand the apps and programs that your child is using by researching and learning about each one
- Don't allow your child to use a tablet or device without setting up controls
- Do set and enforce internet rules and regulations. Poor behavior could lead to rescinded college offers, termination of employment, or legal issues
- Don't share personal information on public forums, such as your real name, addresses, phone numbers, etc.
- Do use parental control apps, such as WebSafety, to monitor online activity
- Don't ignore your child’s online habits and browser history: “Anything you post could be permanent”
5. TEACH EMAIL RED FLAGS
Educate your children to be suspicious of unexpected email messages, particularly those containing attachments or links.
- Do identify common phishing email red flags, which include spelling and grammatical mistakes, aggressive subject lines, and fake website displays
- Don't open attachments from unknown sources
- Do look for misleading domain names in an email address or URL
- Don't provide personal or financial information via email to a suspect bank or government agency
- Do avoid clicking a link from a suspicious email source. Hover over a URL as opposed to clicking, so that you can see the hyperlinked address
- Don't install a program or software you did not choose to download
6. MAKE GAMING SAFE
Online gaming and social media can both show a dark side in the form of competitiveness and bullying. Make sure your children know what to do if they encounter harassment while playing games online or using social media platforms. Encourage your children to report suspicious messages to an adult.
- Do discuss inappropriate content, such as hate speech, violence, or explicit material. Encourage your children to share anything that makes them feel uncomfortable
- Don't retaliate and respond to the bully, which reinforces bullying behavior
- Do talk to your children about why cyberbullying is damaging and hurtful, and let them know you will be there for support
- Don't delete all evidence of the incident so that there’s no record
- Do be diligent in observing behavioral or mood changes, and if harassment appears online, use privacy tools to block the individual concerned. You can also report the incident to ensure someone else isn't harassed
- Don't let your child withdraw and feel ashamed about having been harassed
7. AVOID PUBLIC WI-FI
Public Wi-Fi in airports, libraries, hotels, and coffee shops is an attractive resource for staying in touch when away from home. However, it is not encrypted like your home router’s wireless connection, which puts you at a greater risk for being hacked.
- Do ensure that the connection of an unsecured public network requires a login or registration
- Don't access personal bank accounts on unsecured public networks
- Do turn off automatic connectivity on your smartphone or laptop so that you don’t unknowingly connect to unsecured networks
- Don't shop online when using public Wi-Fi
- Do consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to ensure that your privacy is protected when using public Wi-Fi
- Don't leave your laptop, smartphone, or tablet unattended in a public space
CONCLUSION
Although you might know the basics, educating your children is essential to keeping them safe. The more they know, the more they will be in a position to avoid common mistakes that internet users make. Online threats change all the time, so it is important to follow the news and to stay alert to the newest dangers. If you are looking for additional information, reach out to the Goldman Sachs Family Office team. In addition, here are several helpful resources:
This material is intended for educational purposes only and is provided solely on the basis that it will not constitute investment advice and will not form a primary basis for any personal or plan’s investment decisions. While it is based on information believed to be reliable, no warranty is given as to its accuracy or completeness and it should not be relied upon as such. Goldman Sachs is not a fiduciary with respect to any person or plan by reason of providing the material herein, information and opinions expressed by individuals other than Goldman Sachs employees do not necessarily reflect the view of Goldman Sachs. This material may not, without Goldman Sachs’ prior written consent, be (i) copied, photocopied or duplicated in any form, by any means, or (ii) distributed to any person that is not an employee, officer, director, or authorized agent of the recipient. This material is not an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security in any jurisdiction. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of money invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Neither asset diversification or investment in a continuous or periodic investment plan guarantees a profit or protects against a loss. Information and opinions provided herein are as of the date of this material only and are subject to change without notice.
© 2023 The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as both a broker-dealer and an investment adviser and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”).
© 2025 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved.