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SALT LAKE CITY -- With more and more kids using smartphones and laptops for school, some tech industry insiders say parents should talk with their kids about keeping their devices free from viruses and malware.
The phrase "stranger danger" also applies online. ContentWatch President Russ Warner said parents need to teach their kids not to open emails from people they don't know.
"I think most viruses are caused by double-clicking on something that someone sends to you," Warner said.
He said good content filters can do more than just keep children from seeing things you don't want them to. He says they can keep a lot of malware away.
"Websites that are predominantly filled with malware would be pornography sites or gambling sites. [These are] sites with stuff that you would find questionable, anyway."
When it comes to smartphones, since they run on such a different operating system, Warner says viruses aren't a big problem now yet. But, malicious apps are. Some of them can take over your phone's text controls. So, he recommends finding an app manager, even though app management is a pretty new industry.
"If you search for ‘app management' for mobile phones, you'll only find a few players." he said.
On three separate occasions, Warner says his kids downloaded items that have in-app purchases when you use them.
"They made purchases within the game that they were playing, and I had my credit card company and telling me that within one hour I had $200 worth of charges racked up on my credit card."
Warner says it's important for parents to know about malicious apps, and make sure their children know how to stay away.
Email: [pnelson@ksl.com](<mailto: pnelson@ksl.com>)
