Born between 2010 and 2025, Gen Alpha aren’t just growing up with technology – they’re actively living it. These digital natives are already wielding smartphones, tablets, and AI-powered tools with the confidence of seasoned users, navigating everything from gaming and social media to online learning platforms with remarkable ease.

But the question that concerns parents and security experts is whether we are giving our children too powerful technology, too soon. On Safer Internet Day, Kaspersky security experts are sharing practical tips to help parents turn AI from a potential threat into a trusted ally for the younger generation.

The first line of defence is building AI awareness

Children have already discovered that ChatGPT, DeepSeek and other neural networks can answer questions faster than you can find the right answer in Google, and Alexa can play music without pressing a single button.

So, the only solution is to become children’s AI support. Begin by explaining that these digital assistants aren’t friends, pets, or even real people. They’re sophisticated tools that can be helpful, but also potentially misleading, biased, or simply wrong. Then teach them to cross-check information with multiple sources, just like they’d verify facts in a school project.

When discussing AI with children, emphasise that they should never fully trust AI answers, especially for sensitive topics like health, mental wellbeing, or safety concerns. Always encourage them to verify information and never share personal details or documents with AI systems.

Enabling safety filters 

Most AI platforms and smart devices come with built-in safety features that are often overlooked or misunderstood. Spend some time checking the privacy settings and content filters and, if possible, tailor them to match your family’s values and your child’s maturity level. This is a basic protection against inappropriate content, privacy breaches, and potentially harmful interactions.

However, not all services and platforms provide an opportunity to set up content filters and fully control children’s online activity. To create a safer digital environment for your children consider using parental control tools like Kaspersky Safe Kids. It allows parents to not only hide inappropriate content and prevent specific apps and websites from being opened but also helps balance children’s time spent online with screen time management. 

Checking the AI-powered apps authenticity 

In a world where AI apps are popping up faster than you can say “chatbot,” verifying app authenticity is essential. Only download apps from official stores and inform your children about the importance of not installing anything from unfamiliar sources. Look up the company behind the app and check whether they have a website and legitimate business presence.  Teach your kids to limit their app’s permissions and do not give access to data unless it’s necessary for the apps to work. 

Staying involved and informed 

A basic understanding of the range of problems your child is willing to entrust to AI is already significant. By asking simple questions like “What did you ask AI today? Did it give you the right answer?” you’ll be teaching your children to openly discuss with you the use of AI and problems they might face. When they mention using ChatGPT for homework, ask them to show you what they’ve learned. When they talk about their favourite voice assistant, ask about the topics they like to discuss and funny particularities they noted.

“When you actively participate in your child’s AI journey, you transform from a concerned parent into a trusted guide. They’ll seek your input because they know you’re interested in their digital experiences, not just trying to control them. But while allowing children some AI freedom, you must always remain vigilant about their online safety and healthy growth,” comments Andrey Sidenko, Cyber Literacy Projects Lead at Kaspersky. 

By Oluwole Alao

Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has pledged the Agency’s full support for the Corporate Affairs Commission’s (CAC) artificial intelligence–driven transformation as the Commission marked its 35th anniversary in Abuja.

Delivering a goodwill message at the celebration, which was held at the Ladi Kwali hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel, Inuwa commended CAC for its uncommon consistency and resilience, noting that while many organisations rise and fall after initial success, CAC has continued on a steady growth trajectory.

“We know organisations go up and come down, but some will keep thriving, thriving, and thriving, and today, this is what we are witnessing for CAC,” he said.

Reflecting on his early engagement with the Commission, the NITDA boss recalled that the Registrar General made organisational transformation a priority from the very start of his leadership, particularly in embracing digital innovation.

According to Inuwa, the current era demands more than basic digitisation, stressing that meaningful transformation can only be achieved through the integration of artificial intelligence into core operations.

“We are in the AI era, and the only way to transform today is to embrace and integrate AI into your operations. This is exactly what the Registrar General is doing,” he stated.

He assured CAC of NITDA’s commitment to working closely with the Commission to embed AI across its numerous processes, explaining that the technology would infuse intelligence into workflows, simplify company registration and business management, and strengthen cybersecurity.

“We will make sure you integrate AI into CAC processes. With AI, it will infuse intelligence in everything you do and make things easy for Nigerians to register companies and manage businesses,” Inuwa averred.

The NITDA DG added that deploying advanced AI tools would help CAC staff stay ahead of fraudsters and curb hacking and fraudulent alterations of company records, while also safeguarding the system through responsible deployment.

“At NITDA, we will make sure you deploy ethical and responsible AI in your operations, with the right guardrails in place,” he assured.

He further described CAC’s digital reforms as bold and impactful, noting that the Commission has reduced company registration timelines from several months to as little as 24 hours. He added that further integration of AI would enhance name search and reservation, automate filings, improve corporate governance, and significantly reduce fraud.

He also highlighted NITDA’s ongoing role in reviewing CAC’s digital and AI transformation roadmaps, providing guidelines, standards, training support, and safeguards to ensure sustainable, people-centred, and secure digital services.

The NITDA DG congratulated CAC management, staff, and members of the National Assembly for their support, expressing confidence that the partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s digital business environment in the years ahead.

Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced it has acquired UK-based Arco Cyber, a cybersecurity assurance company dedicated to helping organizations improve their security posture while staying ahead of compliance requirements and emerging threats.

Sophos

The acquisition is an important step in Sophos’ strategy to help organizations strengthen cybersecurity strategy and governance across all levels of maturity, delivered through the company’s global partner ecosystem.

Sophos refers to this as Sophos CISO Advantage, a set of capabilities designed to scale the knowledge, judgment, and operating discipline of a world-class CISO to organizations with or without dedicated security leadership, combining agentic AI, integrated platforms, and trusted human expertise delivered in partnership with managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs).

Advances in agentic and AI-assisted systems now make it possible to deliver real-time insight into control performance, while remaining grounded in human oversight and judgment.

Arco Cyber accelerates this vision by adding capabilities that help organizations continuously validate whether security controls are effective, map controls to risk and compliance frameworks, and present clear, executive-ready insight that supports better decision-making.

“There is no shortage of exemplary security technology in the market,” said Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos. “What’s missing for most organizations is the ability to govern those tools, understand whether controls are actually working, and make informed decisions about risk. Arco has built a platform and a team that offers clarity, accountability, and proof.

“That work directly supports our strategy, and it gives customers a stronger foundation for simplifying compliance and managing cyber risk with confidence.”

A critical element of Sophos CISO Advantage is the role of MSPs and MSSPs in delivering these capabilities at scale. Most organizations rely on trusted partners to translate insight into action, provide context, and guide day-to-day decision-making.

Sophos CISO Advantage is designed to strengthen that relationship by equipping partners with AI-driven governance, continuous assurance, and clear risk insight, enabling them to deliver CISO-level leadership as a service.

This approach allows MSPs and MSSPs to elevate their role from technology operators to strategic security advisors, while giving customers greater clarity, control, and confidence in how cyber risk is managed.

Addressing a Leadership Gap in Cybersecurity

There are an estimated 359 million organizations worldwide, yet fewer than 32,000 have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Those with CISOs or other dedicated security leadership also require clear risk assessments, governance, prioritization, and demonstrability of security effectiveness to boards, regulators, and insurers.

“As cybersecurity matures beyond alerts and point solutions, organizations are increasingly focused on proving impact, not just activity,” said Phil Harris, Research Director, Governance, Risk and Compliance Solutions at IDC. “Boards, regulators, and insurers want clear evidence that security investments are reducing risk and strengthening governance. Platforms that integrate detection and response with assurance, advisory, and risk-based measurement are better aligned with how organizations actually operate.

“The Sophos and Arco Cyber combination represents a new category of platform-led cybersecurity that connects operations, assurance, and risk-based outcomes.”

For organizations with a CISO or similar leadership, Sophos CISO Advantage will provide a more efficient, integrated way to manage risk, track progress, and communicate outcomes. For organizations without one, it will deliver practical, CISO-level guidance that helps them take control of their security posture and decisions.

“Arco was founded to help organizations move from assumption to proof in cybersecurity,” said Matt Helling, CEO and co-founder of Arco Cyber. “By joining Sophos, we can deliver against that mission and reach far more customers who are struggling to demonstrate control effectiveness, prioritize risk, and justify security decisions.

“Sophos shares our belief that cybersecurity should deliver clarity, confidence, and control, not just data. Together, we can help organizations of all sizes turn security into a managed, defensible business discipline.”

Arco Cyber will join Sophos as a dedicated team to advance Sophos CISO Advantage. Its technology and expertise will be integrated into Sophos Central, the platform which delivers Sophos’ broader ecosystem including advisory services, managed detection and response (MDR), and partner-delivered services that enable MSPs and MSSPs to scale cybersecurity strategy for their customers.