It is important to teach kids about cyber safety

Nearly eight in 10 Indian parents believe that instilling knowledge and potential risk about the Internet in their kids from an early age is necessary, according to a report on Tuesday.

The report by Norton, a consumer cyber safety brand from NortonLifeLock, revealed that most Indian adults (86 per cent) say it is more important now than ever before, for parents to talk to their children about cyber safety.

Nearly 70 per cent adults noted that it is essential for parents to manage their children's screen time usage.

Most Indians also believed that teaching cyber safety must be on a par with instilling healthy habits (81 per cent), helping them be prepared for an emergency (81 per cent), and basic life skills (78 per cent).

The report was based on Harris Poll among 1,004 adults in India. About 73 per cent of Indian adults surveyed believe children are likely to give their family members' personal information away online.

"Our children are naturals when it comes to advances in technology, adapting to the latest gadgets to internet apps.

While this is great, the research shows that parents believe they need to educate and actively engage with their children's online activities," said Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales and Field Marketing, India & SAARC Countries, NortonLifeLock, in a statement.

"This latest study in India tells us that three-quarters of Indian parents surveyed (78 per cent), with children under 18, discovered their children have done something on their smart devices without their permission. The most important aspect to internet safety for kids is that parents instil the right guidelines from an early age about the Internet and the potential hazards out there," Chopra said.

The report also highlighted that half of connected device owners in India surveyed (54 per cent) are worried about someone hacking their connected devices, but 8 in 10 (80 per cent) Indian respondents would like more information on how to keep their connected devices secure.