The data is clear, the relationship between children and the internet is fragile. The more time on a screen +- the internet the more impact on our lives and the lives of our children it will have. In fact, a few studies show that more than ONE HOUR of screen time can negatively impact our children.

How can we help?

1. We can encourage and help each other by accepting the data and limiting our children to screen time. (Unfortunately, not everyone is going to do this)
2. We secure our children by doing what we CAN in securing their devices.

One of the things that I am trying to do this year is understand and educate the average “joe” on how to secure their network for their children.

One of the deep dive analyses and testing I have done is with Cloudflare’s FREE Zero Trust network. This product can secure all of your traffic through their cloud. Where you can set up security measures to enhance your network security. This will protect and inspect all network traffic. Enabling you to allow or block the places and content your network or individual uses.

It achieves this by using its WARP application or DNS (Domain Name System) Server to block and allow traffic.

Cloudflare DNS

DNS is the first line of defense for network traffic. For those that don’t know, for an application to load your device must find out where to send the data. This is the function of DNS, to provide the information to your device on where to go to use that application. Setting up your home router to use Cloudflare’s DNS you can assign policies to your home network. With that you can configure it to block certain applications such as pornography. Your device can never get to the pornography website if it cannot figure out where to go. It stops it before it has a chance to connect.

Downsides:

• DNS is an umbrella “allow or block” for the whole network. Unfortunately, there are ways to work around getting multiple policies however, for normal at home use, that is more advanced. But, it is doable. Everyone is subjected to the same rules as everyone else, sorry dad!
• It is ONLY DNS so we are missing the possibility of applications and programs that don’t use DNS because they hard code that destination into whatever device. Not typical but is possible.

Cloudflare WARP

Cloudflare WARP client is an application that can be installed on almost every device in your network that could pose a risk: phone, laptop, etc. With this client, you can secure ALL traffic from that device. This means that for your device to get anywhere it HAS to pass through your configured security rules whether or not they are on your home network or not. This feature improves the security for anyone who needs to be protected even through their wireless provider. It is always on protection.

These rules can be tailored to the device/user that is accessing it. For example, Dad might be able to go to a firearm store page to look at a new pistol but, Son will get blocked if they try to go to that website. It provides a more personalized configuration.

The app has built-in security controls for the app itself, such as not allowing certain users to turn off the protection which ensures security for the device’s traffic. It provides other measures to secure the network security functionality from being tampered with.

Downsides:

• Doesn’t protect EVERY device in your network such as a PS5. For that to be protected you will need to implement additional controls such as DNS on your router and/or a proxy server for advanced features.
• You will need additional security around adding and removing applications as if the user has full rights to that device, it would be easy for them to remove it

Final Thoughts

With that being said, Cloudflare’s free Zero Trust environment is a solid security platform to protect your home network. I will be implementing this functionality across my family. But, with all things in network security, it is not a one-stop fix, we need a multi-layered approach to protecting our families.

We will continue to expand this into how to videos and more discussions around what “good” looks like for the average home user.

Take care and be well friends

Joe

A study on kids and screen time: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30406005/