‘Digital Native’ Generation
A generation that has been exposed to digital technology from an early age and naturally utilizes it as they grow.
Today’s children and teenagers belong to the ‘Digital Native’ generation, having been exposed to digital environments since birth. With the normalization of smartphones, tablets, and computers, they accumulate diverse digital experiences such as online learning, social media, and gaming. However, they often lack security awareness compared to adults.
Since children tend to believe the information they see as it is, if they do not learn basic security concepts from an early age, they are more likely to be exposed to cyber threats such as hacking, phishing, and personal information leaks. So, how should security education for children and teenagers be conducted?
In response to this need, Google and the Korean Institute of Information Security & Cryptology recently released a cybersecurity guide in honor of ‘Safer Internet Day.’ This guide is characterized by its easy-to-follow security rules that anyone can practice. It particularly focuses on preventing security issues that children and teenagers may encounter and creating a safer digital environment.
The main contents of the security guide announced by Google and the Korean Institute of Information Security & Cryptology are centered around security rules that children and teenagers can practice daily. It is important not to trust messages from unknown senders and to always verify the source before clicking on a link.
Additionally, instead of using simple passwords, it is essential to create strong combinations including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters, and to set different passwords for each site. To enhance account security, enabling two-step verification is necessary, and one should be cautious about oversharing personal information on social media. Developing awareness to avoid falling for scams disguised as game item purchases or free giveaway events is also an important security habit.
Recently, cases of children and teenagers being directly exposed to cyber threats have been increasing. For example, a 12-year-old boy, A, received an offer from an online gaming acquaintance promising him a game item in exchange for his login information. After providing his details, his account was stolen. The hacker then used this account to register A’s parents’ credit card information as a payment method, causing significant financial damage.
Similarly, a 14-year-old girl, B, received a direct message on social media from a famous influencer. The message appeared to be a formal collaboration proposal, but in reality, it contained a link leading to a phishing site. The moment B clicked the link, her personal information was leaked, and her social media account was hacked, resulting in spam messages being sent to her friends. Cybercriminals exploit the curiosity and trust of children and teenagers to commit various crimes.
Overseas Cybersecurity Education Cases
In other countries, security education for children and teenagers is conducted more systematically. In the United States, public schools provide regular digital literacy education to teach basic concepts of security and personal information protection. Additionally, the European Union (EU) organizes cybersecurity campaigns for teenagers and parents on ‘Safer Internet Day,’ offering security guidelines that can be applied in everyday life. In Japan, IT security education has been designated as a mandatory subject in elementary schools to instill security habits from an early age.
In today’s media environment, users can be exposed to unwanted information easily. Due to automatically recommended content on YouTube, social media, and search engines, children are at risk of encountering illegal advertisements, hate content, and fake news. To prevent this, parents and educators should monitor children’s online activities and actively utilize ad-blocking features or kids’ mode settings. Moreover, it is crucial to teach children the habit of reporting suspicious content immediately to parents or teachers and to verify reliable sources of information.
Security Education: A Joint Effort Between Home and School
Cybersecurity education is not just a technical issue but an important social task that must be practiced together at home and school. Parents and teachers should provide practical guides to help children develop safe online habits. For example, families can establish and follow ‘digital security rules,’ and schools can conduct regular security education sessions.
Additionally, by utilizing the security guide announced by Google and the Korean Institute of Information Security & Cryptology, more practical security education can be conducted. Using educational materials such as card news, animations, and quizzes can help children and teenagers easily understand and apply security rules.
To protect children and teenagers growing up in a digital environment from cyber threats, security education is essential. Actively utilizing the security guide proposed by Google and the Korean Institute of Information Security & Cryptology and making efforts to establish security habits at home and school are necessary.
Referring to international cases to introduce systematic security education is also an important task. Furthermore, managing media consumption habits and developing the ability to distinguish reliable information are becoming increasingly important to prevent exposure to unwanted information. Beyond mere prevention, helping children recognize the importance of security and practice it independently is the true beginning of cyber safety.
