Do you know where your kids are going online? According to McAfee and Harris Interactive, nearly 93 percent of teens use the Internet — and 63 percent of them know how to hide what they’re doing online from their parents. As part of its back-to-school computer campaign, Dell has released a handful of suggestions to staying safe in cyberspace.

Spending time online is part of our daily lives these days, which also includes kids who rely on the internet for communication, entertainment, and information. Keeping young kids off the web isn’t the answer – safe surfing is! And so Dell is offering a handful of good tips to keep your children (and your data and computer) safe from malicious types.

Top 10 Cyber Security Tips for Families

1. Hall Monitors are Needed: Parents should always monitor children’s use of the internet. Consider using a family protection software, which lets adults say “yes” to children’s online interests. It keeps children of all ages safe from exposure to inappropriate content, social networking risks, strangers, and other online threats.

2. Don’t Talk to Strangers: Teach kids to ignore emails and instant messages from people they don’t know.

3. Kid-Customized: Use browsers for kids such as ‘Kidzui’ and kid-oriented search engines such as ‘Ask Jeeves Kids’ and ‘Kids Click!’

4. Nothing is “Free”: Remind children to avoid free downloads like screensavers, surveys, and online club registrations as these “freebies” can include hidden spyware and adware programs.

5. Teamwork is key: Work with your child to discuss boundaries of what is appropriate and what isn’t. Sign a pledge together to ensure ultimate protection.

6. Monitor Time: Set time limits for online surfing and ban late-night use.

7. Start a Conversation: Encourage children to talk about bad experiences they are having and if something makes them feel uncomfortable.

8. Don’t Make Play Dates: Make sure tweens and teens know to never have an in-person meeting with anyone they met online.

9. Protect Your Family’s Personal Info: Families today need comprehensive security protection. McAfee Security Center from Dell features McAfee Active Protection technology which instantly analyzes and blocks new threats in milliseconds so there’s no dangerous gaps in protection.

10. Encourage Show and Tell: Educate children about online dangers to help prevent risky situations.

* Information compiled from Dell, McAfee, and Harris