Toni Birdsong
Author, McAfee Consumer
Toni Birdsong began her career as a reporter in Los Angeles and later became a writer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Her passion for digital safety started 10 years ago as a way to gain the survival skills she needed to parent her own connected teenagers. Her goal with each post is to give busy parents the insight they need raise wiser, more compassionate digital kids. When she’s not writing (her first love), you can find Toni hiking, watching TikTok, or trying not to break an important body part at CrossFit.
Articles by Author
Family Safety
7 Ways to Wreck a Cybercrook’s Holidays
Cybercrime spikes around the holidays and more people than you think take the phishing bait. Spending a few minutes to...Nov 30, 2019 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
Could Your Child be Sexting? Signs to Look for and Ways to Respond
It's tough to imagine but could your child be sexting? While studies show that sexting isn't as common as once...Nov 23, 2019 | 6 MIN READ
Family Safety
Sadfishing, Deepfakes & TikTok: Headlines You May Have Missed
Technology trends move fast and the digital newsfeeds run non-stop. No worries, we’ve got your backs, parents....Nov 09, 2019 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
Helping Kids Think Critically About Influencers They Follow Online
When I was a teenager, my role model was Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton. I admired everything...Nov 03, 2019 | 6 MIN READ
Family Safety
How to Remove Viruses from Your Android Phone
Cybersecurity is a rewarding career, yet few women pursue the field. If your daughter shows an interest in technology or...Oct 26, 2019 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
Want Your Kids to Care More About Online Safety? Try These 7 Tips
Parents today have to breach very adult conversations with kids on a consistent basis. Significant conversations about sexting, bullying, online...Oct 19, 2019 | 5 MIN READ
Privacy & Identity Protection
15 Easy, Effective Ways to Start Winning Back Your Online Privacy
Is it possible to get back some of the data we've lost in cyberspace over the years? Sure, but it...Oct 12, 2019 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
Device & App Safety Guide for Families
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). To kick off that effort, here's a comprehensive Device and App Safety Guide...Oct 05, 2019 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
5 Digitally-Rich Terms to Define, Discuss with Your Kids
We can be quick to correct our kids when they fail to exercise the best judgment online but have we...Sep 28, 2019 | 6 MIN READ
Family Safety
5 Hidden Hashtag Risks Every Parent Needs Know
Hashtags are searchable power tools online. Adding hashtags to a social post has become second nature. But few of us...Sep 21, 2019 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
Are Cash Transfer Apps Safe to Use? Here’s What Your Family Needs to Know
As convenient as cash transfer apps like Venmo and Zelle may be, are they safe for your family to use?...Sep 14, 2019 | 7 MIN READ
Privacy & Identity Protection
3 Things You [Probably] Do Online Every Day that Jeopardize Your Family’s Privacy
We've all unintentionally shared identifying photos, used apps, or clicked buttons that may have compromised our privacy. That's okay, don't...Sep 07, 2019 | 6 MIN READ