“Minors online” refers to children and teenagers using digital services, platforms, and connected devices. In cyber security, this matters because younger users often face different risks than adults: they may be less able to spot phishing, social engineering, grooming, or deceptive prompts, and they may share more personal data without understanding the consequences.
Protecting minors online is both a safety and security problem. Defenders use age-aware defaults, privacy-preserving settings, parental controls, clear consent flows, and stronger abuse reporting to reduce exposure. Attackers, by contrast, often target minors through fake profiles, malicious links, manipulated chat interactions, or applications that collect sensitive data. Good security design assumes minors need simpler controls, stronger boundaries, and safer default behavior from the start.