Some attempts by kids to visit porn, online gambling sites last year, says cybersecurity provider

Some Malaysian children attempted to visit websites with dangerous content last year on the back of the movement control order which saw a shift towards digital learning through online platforms, data from cybersecurity provider Kaspersky reveals.

Kaspersky’s general manager for Southeast Asia, Yeo Siang Tiong, said while these formed only a small number, the company nonetheless blocked attempts to visit websites for pornography (0.10%), weapons (0.06%), internet gambling (0.03%) and drugs (0.02%).

“The children of today started interacting with technology at an early age, and do not know a world without the internet, computers and mobile devices.

“With the onset of the pandemic, their exposure and intertwinement of technology in their lives is now more so than ever – be it for learning or leisure. As they live in the age of the internet, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide a safe space for them to learn and grow, and to protect them from exposure to negative content and vices that are rampant on the Web,” he said in a statement today.

Data compiled by Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) also revealed that 42.5% of the time children spent online in 2020 was used watching videos and listening to music.

“KSN also showed that kids spent 23% of their time communicating with their peers using online messaging and email services while 22% were on computer games,” Yeo said.

The data was taken from computers running on Windows and MacOS, while no mobile statistics were given.

Yeo said the company scans the contents of websites which children attempt to access through Kaspersky Safe Kids.

“If the site falls into one of 14 undesirable categories, the module sends an alert to KSN,” he said, adding that no uder information is transmitted, neither is privacy compromised.

“It is up to the parent to decide which contents to block by tweaking the protective solution’s preferences. But anonymous statistics are collected for all 14 categories.”

The categories include adult content, alcohol, violence, gambling and profanity.