Today, 11/2, RNP, by means of its Security Incident Response Center (CAIS), held the 15th edition of the International Computer Security Day (DISI), in a virtual conversation format on the subject “Digital security starts early”. This year, DISI joined the Safe Internet Day (saferinternetday.org), a global movement led in Brazil by Safernet and Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do Ponto BR - NIC.br, bringing higher mobilization on important subjects for the more secure and conscious use of the internet.

Focused on parents, students, teachers, institutional collaborators, technology professionals and other multipliers of the information security culture, the live broadcast of the event had peaks of 300 spectators, forming a heterogeneous audience that recognizes the importance of the debate on the subject.

In the conversation, there were remote and virtual participants who addressed different points associated with the central subject, among them: parental control, cyberbullying, cybercrimes, understanding about data privacy and exposure, etc. They participated directly in the studio together with the mediator and coordinator of Privacy and Data Security at RNP, Yuri Alexandro, the gamer presenter elected the largest eSports host in Latin America and the third largest in the world, Nyvi Estephan and the threat researcher at Trend Micro and founder of the Mente Binária information security community, Fernando Mercês.

Nyvi brought to the debate her experience as a personality linked to games who speaks directly to the young people and warned about the care that aspiring influencers shall take in order not to be deceived.

“I entered the internet with little more maturity, older, in my 20s, and it was difficult for me to adapt too. We have many profiteers who come and tell the girls that are going to make them stars.  It is a universe where, if you do not have someone more malicious behind to provide support, you are very much at risk of falling into scams, not only financial, but in your life in general. I think it's an environment there shall be a lot of parental control,” she said.

Fernando, on the other hand, added from more technical point of view, however, with using words easy to understand. He gave a valuable tip on how parents shall proceed to seek more natural awareness of security.

“I think that for parents, who already know that they don't know anything about technology, it is even easier, they can search for booklets and learn together. The biggest challenge are parents who think they know about technology. We have to cool down indeed ‘I don’t know anything about it’. Let them explain to us. Based on that, look for sources with booklets and recommendations to teach about safety. For example about password: what is it? Why does it have to be long? Anyway, explain everything. This is not explained here and  there. This awareness shall be made together with the parents, there is no other way”, the researcher said.

Participating in the entire chat by means of screens, the behavior specialist and psycho-pedagogue Érica Alvim and the specialist in Digital Law and CEO of Resh Cyber Defense, a Cyber Intelligence company focused on Data Protection, Adriana Cansian, brought their perspectives based on their areas of knowledge, enriching the debate.

Érica gave recommendations on how to insert the children into the internet universe, which is increasingly more inviting and full of references of personalities, who are successful references nowadays. “It is normal for the children to want to participate in social networks, to be youtubers, because they admire a lot, such as, for example, the soccer players. They see them on the screen and want to be like them. But they are not mature enough to deal with everything that comes together: comments: anxiety for followers and likes. The more we can avoid this exposure the better. If they insist too much, we can try with a private network, only with family and close friends”, the psycho-pedagogue advised.

Still about social networks, Adriana Cansian explained a little about the policies for their use and warned that, it may even seem, but the internet is not a "lawless land".

“The best recommendation I have heard until date is to prevent from all risks we are exposed to in any environment. For the internet, it starts with attention to the use of all the tools available for the children and the young people. In general, in social networks, in the terms of use, it is defined that the user must be at least 13 years old. That's because most headquarters of the companies that own the networks are in the USA and this is defined there. This age is not random. It is the age for which studies point out that people have a greater perception capacity in relation to the possible risks. But people forget that all laws in the real world apply to the virtual: theft, fraud, all legislation we have in Brazil applies to any act and action done on the internet. But it is necessary to be very careful, because, more than just something happening, the person has, from a reputation point of view, series of losses difficult to repair later”, Cansian pointed out.

There were two special participations in #DISI21 as well: the security analyst at CERT.br/NIC.br, Miriam von Zuben, who highlighted Internet Segura.br, a portal with content on digital security speaking the language of all kinds of population, from children to elderly people, through professionals in IT-related areas, and the representative of the Brazilian Association of Electronic Game Developers (Abragames) and professor and researcher at PUC-SP, Ivelize Fortim, who spoke about the guide she wrote recently, titled “How to deal with children and games in the pandemic”.

Have you missed the live stream? No problem!

Watch the recorded event on the RNP channel on YouTube.