Why kidz couldn't care less about your password advice.

Mia Landsem, an ethical hacker who also helps victims of image abuse, argues that password advice written for adults does not reach children. She opens with Norwegian survey figures on how many young people have social media profiles and gaming accounts, and how often those accounts require logins.

The central finding is that many children share passwords, mostly to keep Snapchat streaks alive or to get help from a friend or parent. She describes weak school practices, such as passwords built from names and birth years, and confusing terminology around two-step verification that children do not understand. She also argues that password managers packed with features overwhelm young users, and that gaming account takeovers and reward-driven habits are a major driver of risky behaviour. Her suggestions include simpler tools, two-step security built into streak features, small low-cost options for keeping streaks, and parents explaining consequences instead of taking phones away.

The talk closes with the stakes when shared credentials expose intimate material. She describes sextortion and non-consensual image sharing she sees in her casework. Her takeaway for practitioners is that security guidance should be standardized, easier to use, and matched to what children care about, with platforms, schools and adults sharing responsibility rather than leaving it to children.