Online Safety for Families: Expert Advice from a Former NSA Cybersecurity Pro | Ben Gillenwater (EP410)

Minimalist Moms Podcast | Simple Living for Overwhelmed Moms

Diane Boden

Self-improvement, Home & Garden, Leisure, How To, Kids & Family, Mental Health, Education, Parenting, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 952 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How do you protect kids online without daily screen-time battles? In this episode, Diane sits down with cybersecurity expert and parent Ben Gillenwater, founder of Family IT Guy. With nearly 30 years in tech, Ben reveals the hidden risks of kids’ digital lives and shares simple, practical strategies—like parental controls, balance, and open communication—to help families raise digitally healthy kids.

Links Discussed in This Episode |

Previous Episode: Good Pictures Bad Pictures | Kristen Jenson (EP14)
Previous Episode: A Proactive Approach to Talking with Your Teen About Pornography | Parker Hymas (EP15)
Article: The Digital Danger Zone: Understanding the Real Risks
Gryphon Family Friendly Router
Podcast: ChatGPT Brain Rot Debate: The Fastest Way to Get Dementia, Watch This Before Using ChatGPT Again, Especially If Your Kids Use It!
Connect with Ben:
Website
Instagram
Podcast

About Ben |

Ben Gillenwater is a parent, former NSA cybersecurity expert, and ex-chief technologist for a $10 billion IT company with over 30 years of experience in technology and security. Drawing on his extensive background, Ben now focuses on helping parents navigate the complex digital landscape, providing practical solutions to keep families safe online. He founded Family IT Guy to make digital safety accessible to all parents -regardless of technical expertise - empowering families to protect their children in an increasingly connected world.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	When my kid was five, I gave him an iPad and I put YouTube on it because I thought that if I use the iPad parental controls and I give him some basic guidelines on YouTube usage that we could navigate this stuff in a safe way.
0:18.1	And that is not the case.
0:19.6	I was wrong.
0:20.6	Wow. I gave my kid digital drugs you know
0:23.9	okay so what is an algorithm the way you can tell that you're using an algorithm is that it has a
0:30.8	bottomless feed if you just go and go and go and go and it never stops that is a good sign that you are
0:36.6	using an algorithm or you being
0:38.1	exposed to or the algorithm is using you. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people
0:44.4	now. And so when we talk about what is dangerous when it comes to tech and families, addictive
0:49.3	algorithms are, in my opinion, because granted correlation is not causation right but there's some
0:57.6	really strong correlations here that are awfully hard to ignore it's okay to fail it's okay to change
1:04.7	it's okay to recognize that like oh we have a thing and we don't like the way that thing is
1:09.9	and so let's change it make it better i have I have two currencies as a human. I have time and I have attention. And so,
1:16.8	how am I spending those currencies? And are they being taken from me or am I intentionally giving
1:23.7	them to myself or my family or my friends.
1:29.8	Hello and welcome to the minimalist moms podcast.
1:35.0	How do we keep our kids safe in today's digital world without creating constant battles over screens?
1:36.4	In today's episode, I sit down with Ben Gillenwater, a cybersecurity expert, parent, and
1:41.7	the founder of Family IT Guy, With nearly 30 years of experience,
1:46.0	including his time as chief technologist for a $10 billion IT company, Ben is on a mission to make
1:52.2	digital safety accessible for all families. Together we dive into the hidden dangers of tech for kids,
1:58.0	from addictive algorithms to online chat features that fuel anxiety and depression.
	...

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