Did you know that 90% of children have a device (phone, tablet, etc.) in their bedroom at night, half of those children have given their information to strangers they met online, and almost 20% of those kids have met with a stranger?
Pretty scary, eh? That’s why Jason Galasso, Senior Security Engineer at Honorlock, dedicates his time to educating students, parents, teachers across the US, and even senior citizens about the very real dangers lurking online.
About ten years ago, Jason and his wife attended a class at their daughter’s high school on keeping kids safe on social media.
But to his surprise, only two other couples showed up, and that’s when it hit him: “I thought, ‘If the kids and their parents aren’t here, how will they learn about it? How can parents teach their kids if they don’t know what they don’t know?”
It was that nearly empty classroom that started his mission. “That was the turning point for me. I knew I had to do something.” So he did.
Jason earned a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, a globally recognized certification for experienced security professionals.
This certification gives him the credentials to educate others about security threats, and with over 25 years of IT experience, Jason is well-equipped to protect ABC from a wide range of risks. He oversees the defense against known threats, manages vulnerability and penetration testing programs, leads security awareness training, protects our computer systems and networks, and assesses security risks while managing our Vendor Security and Bug Bounty programs.
While cybersecurity is complex, Jason’s goal is simple: “Protecting kids today and setting them up to be better cybersecurity citizens in the future.”
Part of that means providing students, parents, and teachers with timely, relevant training and information, “Kids need to learn how to use the internet and technology responsibly, and part of that means parents, teachers, and schools being able to reinforce that.”
Three aspects of Jason’s approach help accomplish that:
1. Stay relevant: “Anything you discuss has to connect with what students, teachers, and schools actually use. Whether it’s social media apps students use and video games they play at home, or the technology and devices they use at school, it has to be relevant to their everyday lives.”
2. Be available: “Even if a teacher called me at midnight with a question, I’ll talk all night if it’ll help them keep students safe.”
3. Keep it simple: “I keep things simple to address issues and what they can do about it… Here’s a problem. Here’s a solution. Here are more resources to help you learn about it.”
Many of those resources come from two cybersecurity programs Jason works with, Be Internet Awesome with Google and the Center for Cyber Safety & Education by ISC2. These programs offer excellent resources that are consistently updated to keep up with cybersecurity risks and happenings.
Cybersecurity tips & resources
Tips for different audiences
- Create strong, unique passwords for every site.
- Don’t share private information (like passwords) over email.
- Never tell anyone your passwords—not even your friends!
- When posting pictures on social media, deactivate geotagging from your photos.
- If someone is cyberbullying you, tell an adult and remember it's not your fault!
- Be careful what you post because once it’s online, it’s there forever.
- Don’t meet people in real life that you only know from the internet.
- Keep your social media accounts private and be careful about what you share.
- Only accept messages and friend requests from people you know.
- Don't post your address or photos of your house.
- Create strong and unique passwords for every site.
- Teach your children not to click on pop-ups.
- Never send sensitive information over email.
- If your children use social media, remind them to never meet with anyone they met online.
- Restrict what your child can download until they are the appropriate age.
- Many devices come with parental controls, use them!
- Set up central charging stations in your home to keep all devices together.
- Backup your data using cloud services or an external portable storage device.
- Be vigilant about reviewing your credit card statements.
- Shred all documents with personal information that you don’t need.
- Use strong, different passwords for each website.
- If you’re unsure about a scholarship, ask financial aid, especially if you didn’t apply for it.
- Don’t check your bank info on public wifi.
- Never email personal details like passwords or credit card numbers.
- Turn off location on photos before sharing them online.
- Keep your firewalls turned on and up to date.
- Save your files using cloud storage or a portable drive.
- Check your credit card statements carefully.
- Shred papers with personal info that you no longer need.
- Create strong and unique passwords for every site.
- Never send sensitive information over email.
- Do not check your bank information on open wifi.
- Only accept friend requests on social media from people you know.
- Shred documents with personal info that you no longer need.
- Do not use online shopping sites that require you to enter personal information to access coupons or discount codes.
- If you’re a victim of romance fraud, report it to the police.
- Be mindful of email and phone call fraud attempts.
- Question what you see in emails and pop-ups.
- Download and stream from verified sites only.
Cybersecurity resources
Organization & link | Use cases |
|---|---|
Have I Been Pwned | Check if your email address was leaked in a data breach |
Identitytheft.gov | Report identity theft & resources to recover |
FBI-SOS | Online safety tips for 3rd grade and up |
ConnectSafely | General resources about online safety, privacy, security, and digital wellness |
StopBullying.gov | Identify bullying and how to stop it |
Stay Safe Online | Diverse resources about cybersecurity and staying safe online |
Jason’s dedication to educating others shows how vital it is to stay informed and proactive because cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. With the right knowledge and tools, we can create a safer online environment for everyone.
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