Children’s knowledge vital for keeping households safe online

New research from the National Cyber Security Centre shows children are four times as likely as search engines to be asked by parents and carers for cybersecurity advice

NCSC research released this week has shown that at home, children are four times as likely to be asked for cybersecurity advice than search engines.

The research shows that more people think that children are a main source of online safety advice, ahead of work colleagues, banks, or broadband providers.

Children are more likely to be sought out for guidance for activities such as creating online accounts, and checking security settings on connected devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Deputy director of skills and growth at the NCSC, Chris Ensor, said: “Children are a vital cog in protecting online devices, but we can’t emphasise enough the importance of increasing the numbers of those actively participating in cybersecurity.”

For more information on the NCSC and its events, see https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/