We live in a digital world. Gemalto is an international company for digital security based in Austin, Texas striving to make that world safe for everyone. They have developed technology that secures digital interactions, be it with a mobile phone, bank cards, or even electronic passports, virtually every device you use that has your identity attached to it.
In addition to that technology Gemalto goes even further by giving parents resources to learn and understand how their children are acting online and what they can do to help safeguard those interactions. How to limit your child's access, as well as what to do to limit others access to your child's information and personal communications. Gemalto gives parents tips on how to talk to kids about the benefits and dangers associated with the online world, how to safeguard your information, and how to secure certain aspects of the online experience, so your kids are safe using rules that you put in place. At http://www.JustaskGemalto.com, you can post a question that will be reviewed and answered by security experts. Similar questions and concerns are compiled into their tips where answers are posted, along with links to other sites that may have even more information on a particular topic. One of the best things you can do is simply talk to your kids. Open that line of communication, go to the sites theta they are going to, and let your children navigate through the site and show you their online experience. That will allow you to make an informed judgement on whether that is an appropriate site. Be sure to let them know there are consequences to online behavior. Let them know you can see their viewing history. It's important to explain that you do not want to be spying on them, instead, as a concerned parent you want them to be safe and make sure they aren't putting themselves in jeopardy. Gemalto partners with parents to help ensure that social media, social networking, and online interactions are a positive and safe experience.
Episode 832 is brought to you by BabyBjorn.
Daddy Clay: Ones and zeroes can get danger to your kids. Find out why, next. [music]
Daddy Brad: Today's episode is brought to you by BabyBjorn. In the design of all their products, "Safety comes first," BabyBjorn.
Daddy Clay: It's a digital world, we've heard it a million times but, as parents we sometimes forget that it's incumbent upon us to stay on our digital pose to find out as much information as we can, about ways to keep our kids safe when they venture into the digital world. While we're here, at the offices of Gemalto, an international giant in the field of digital security, let's go inside and find out what we can learn.
Ray Wizbowski: Gemalto is a world leader in digital security. Our local headquarters here in Austin, Texas provide us a unique vantage point within the US market. What we do is we provide technology that secures digital interaction. That's everything from your mobile phone to using your banking card to traveling and using your electronic passport. All of these devices have your identity associated with them. When you call on a mobile phone, you're transmitting who you are to the carrier. We provide the sim card that ensures that interaction is safe and secure. When you're using your banking card, when you're transacting that information, we're providing the security behind that. From Gemalto's perspective, we live in the digital world. The digital world is our home and we want to make that home safe for all to interact. In this case, absolutely, we want to make sure our children are safe as they're entering that digital world.
That means giving parents resources to understand how their kids are acting online and what they can do to help safeguard those interactions. When the child goes online, that the parents can look at the tips to understand what can I do to limit their access? What can I do to keep others from gaining access to my children? How can I talk to my children and allow them to understand both the benefits and the dangers of an online world?
By and large, we believe that the children are having online are OK. We need to be able to open up that channel for parents to talk to their children about their threats. It can't be that the world is a bad place and everything you do and anybody you interact with online is going to be bad. But, we know from some surveys that about 25 percent of children do get approached online and talk to those people online, even though they don't know them in the physical world.
The scarier statistic is that 18 percent of those ask for a picture and pictures are actually sent. From the site, we give you tips on how to talk to your children, tips on how to safeguard that information, tips on how to walk down certain aspects of that online experience so, that the kids are governed by the rules that you put in place.
One of the unique features of JustaskGemalto.com is the fact that you can come and you can pose a question. We have a team of security experts who review those questions and then post the answers to those questions.
This is more like a form where you post a question as a concerned parent and we have the opportunity to look at that, review it and then abrogate several questions into what would become our tips. Our tips are really guided by the user interaction. You come, you ask questions, we'll see similar questions popping up and then, we'll post a tip with associated links to other sites that can give you great information about that particular topic.
As a dad, it does worry me and I do a couple of things to help alleviate my worries. Some of the tips that we have used on "JustaskGemalto" are things like, talk to your kids, have a conversation. Open up the conversation about what they're doing online. Go to the sites that they're going to. Let them navigate through and show you what their digital experience is, so that you can make a value judgment on whether or not that's an appropriate site for them to be on.
Then, allow them to understand that there are consequences for their online behavior. Be able to show them that you can see their viewing history, so that they know that, not as a Big Brother is watching over you but as a concerned parent saying, "You know what, I love you and care about you and I want to make sure that you're not going to put yourself in jeopardy. So, we're going to do this together."
That way, the Internet and the online world and social media and social networking can be a positive experience for the kids and something that a dad can go home and sleep on.
Clay: Thanks to Ray and the good people here at Gemalto for that excellent information on safety. Thanks also to our sponsors BabyBjorn. One of the things we really appreciate about their baby carriers, "Safety always comes first," BabyBjorn. We'll see you next time here on the Lab.
