November 5, 2026, 2:55 pm
You know that your kid starts an early morning physics session, attends tuitions post-class and ends their study day with a tutorial video on the coaching app. In between those events, they enter the password, visit a website from the class WhatsApp group, and possibly chat with someone whom they have never physically met in their life.
Most of the time, there are no incidents taking place. Nevertheless, online classes allow many scammers and data-collecting applications to approach a child in ways which are impossible offline.
This guide highlights real dangers faced by CBSE students online, laws protecting them in India, as well as steps for securing the learning environment in CBSE. None of them require technical knowledge.
Classes online didn't stop with the reopening of schools after the pandemic. For the majority of CBSE students, these classes continue to be part of their everyday schedule of the study day.
Homework is given online through a learning portal, teachers conduct doubts-clearing lessons via video calls, and numerous students from Class 9 to Class 12 attend online coaching for board examinations or preparation for JEE/NEET/CUET.
Every new application is another way to store information about your kid, another password and another company that holds the personal information of the young person. According to the cybercrime helpline of India, which operates 24/7 through the number 1930, in 2025 it took 3.24 crore calls.
Though children are usually not a direct goal of scammers, the phone or laptop which the kid uses provides an opportunity for the family to get scammed through financial frauds.
The CBSE requested in July 2026 from its affiliated schools to establish cyber clubs in the institution, conduct every month awareness-raising activity, and urge students as well as parents to finish a short-term cyber hygiene certificate program of two and a half hours in length.
It is recommended for the schools to observe the first Wednesday of the month as Cyber Jagrookta Diwas. When the link from the institution to that programme is sent to you or your child is sent to sign a document related to cybersecurity, this would mean a great thing to do for you.
When knowing the possible problems, it becomes significantly easier to prevent them in advance. Here is what the most common issues include:
● Phishing messages from the class WhatsApp groups asking to verify the account or download the file and looking like they come from the tutor or the coaching institute;
● People joining a public meeting and distributing offensive material;
● Cyberbullying through sending inappropriate messages, editing photos of the student and excluding him or her from the study discussions;
● Adults who pretend to be students' peers and try to win their trust over time;
● Children publishing their roll numbers, admission cards or home address through the social networks;
● "Paper leak" social media pages and other scams with promises to sell you board examination papers or offer a higher score for some payment.
The last issue reaches its peak in exam periods. CBSE issues public statements about fake social media accounts or websites selling examination papers. You need to remind your kid that the board never changes the marks or offers papers and anyone who suggests the contrary is a scammer.
According to India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, everyone who is younger than 18 is a child. The DPDP Rules 2025, notified by the Central Government, require online platforms to receive verifiable consent from a parent or guardian to process the personal data of the child online. Platforms won't be allowed to track children's behavior online or show advertising aimed at them.
Until those obligations come into effect completely in May 2027, check the privacy settings yourself rather than relying on the application itself and its protection of users' privacy. There are a number of exemptions for the companies from this law. For example, schools can collect information from the students to conduct their activities or secure children enrolled at the institution.
You should know your rights in this case to request the information the app holds about the student and reject the further usage of it. You should be aware that when someone asks a 14-year-old to confirm their consent online, it is a signal of danger.
Safe online habits are the main barrier against any possible online threats, including malicious files, inappropriate content, scammers. To start with, your child needs to implement different passwords for the learning portal, coaching application and personal email, as well as to turn on two-factor authentication where it is possible and needed, especially for the Google or Microsoft account of the learning institution. The password manager helps adults to keep the passwords safely while kids can write them down in the notebook which would be in the house only.
Make sure that the OS, browser, and applications for video calls are up-to-date and that updates will install automatically. Teach your kid to participate in the class only using the official learning portal and links that are shared through the official class WhatsApp group or the tutor.
Special care is required regarding Wi-Fi security. Most kids have their tutorials in a coaching centre, learn in the relatives' apartments or participate in video calls while in libraries, cafes and train stations. It is comfortable, nevertheless the others who use the Wi-Fi at the moment can spy on their traffic or set up fake networks with a similar name to the authentic one.
It can be fixed using a virtual private network (VPN). This encryption tool prevents any spying or stealing of the logins and data of class attendance. While trying to choose best VPN to buy for students, consider paid services with a third-party audit of the no-log policy, as well as applications for all devices used by the student.
Free VPN applications collect user data as a source of income. Also, some applications or examination proctoring services will block a student while they use a VPN, hence it will be needed to shut down during the online classes. But still, the no-log feature doesn't prevent phishing messages and other types of online bullying, therefore the above habits complement each other but don't replace them.
First, use free parental controls. Google Family Link allows you to supervise the children who use Android phones or Chromebook laptops; Screen Time comes built-in with iPhones/iPads and Mac laptops while Microsoft Family Safety works for Windows laptops. With these tools, you can control the app installation, content filtering and reasonable screen time, particularly for the children from the classes below Class 8.
If your kid learns from the shared computer, then create for them a user profile on this computer and give no administrative rights. This prevents unnecessary installing of unknown software without your permission.
Also, settings for the video call should be considered. Instruct your kid to use their real first name to identify themselves and to be mute until the time for speaking starts. Also, it is important that the background blur option is switched on to hide the details of your house from the teacher.
Review application permissions every few months. No reason exists why some math app needs your contacts or location.
Tools and filters help, but talking makes most of this problem. Instead of sneaking and looking in the phone of your kid, you should ask openly how their online classes were, what apps their friends use and if there is something concerning in their online experience. Decide on a few basic house rules about usage of the internet with your kid and explain the reasons for them.
Most importantly, it is important for the kid to know that there will be no punishment or phone deprivation when reporting the problem to you. Kids tend to hide bullying and scammers because of being afraid of losing access. So, you should watch out for such warning signs as:
● Sudden secrecy: closing the screen while someone arrives or quickly changing apps;
● Nervousness after classes, reluctance to join the class;
● New online friends which the kid doesn't talk about or strange presents;
● Requests for money/gift cards/UPI access.
If your kid experiences bullying, harassment, cybercrimes or scammers contact you, the first thing is to stay calm because this reaction defines whether your kid continues communicating with you.
Save the evidence: take screenshots, record the usernames of the account, links, time and date and don't delete the conversations. Report the account to the teacher and on the platform where the account operates.
With cybercrime, you need to call the national helpline 1930, which is especially useful in cases of financial scams as it increases the chances of blocking the transaction. You can file the complaint to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and crimes against women and children could be registered on that website anonymously. In the case of immediate danger, dial 112.
Online learning is the permanent element of the CBSE curriculum and it is hard to supervise all classes and communication there. However, you can help your kid to develop good habits, set the devices properly, learn the data protection act and communicate freely about online experiences. Join the school cybersecurity course if it is provided, discuss with the kid their apps and passwords this weekend and keep 1930 in your phone. Small steps as these increase significantly the level of security in online classrooms.
