Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy

In celebration of Take Our Children to Work Day and Benjamin Franklin’s innovative spirit, the Office of Information Security invites you and your family to Kite Day on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at Houston Hall, Penn Commons, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event raises awareness about key information security concepts while providing enjoyable kite coloring and flying activities with your children, colleagues, and family.

Children aged 4-15 can learn about Ben Franklin’s electricity experiment with conductive rods to attract lightning. Children will tie a toy key to their kite string, representing an information security concept.

Raise your child’s awareness while coloring their kite by discussing the following topics:

Set a strong password or PIN when accessing a mobile device.

Don’t share their password or phone PIN with anyone. Their information is a treasure that must be kept in a locked vault and kept hidden from pirates looking to steal their information.

Don’t respond to solicitation calls, pretending to be from a bank, school, or government office asking to verify address, birthdate, social security number, school address, or ask if parents are home.

Teach your child to hang up or not answer the phone if they don’t recognize the number.

Avoid posting pictures while on vacation or away from home. It could give malicious individuals a clue the family is out of town.

Download apps from a trusted app store. Some apps carry viruses. Your child should learn about the app’s benefits with you or from a teacher before downloading it.

Be cautious playing with individuals they don’t know personally in a multiplayer game. Malicious individuals may pretend to be children or teenagers to gain children’s trust, luring them to share information or meet secretly.

For information security awareness topics visit https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/aware.

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For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead.