Keeping your Kids safe from hackers when playing with toys that use modern technology
This topic gives you some basic knowledge on How to Keep Kids Safe from online Spies and Hackers.
Parents throughout the world have been horrified to learn that the database used by VTech containing information of 6.4 million children has been hacked. Many parents do not know what to do. Toys that connect to the internet such as this VTech table allow personalized learning opportunities for their children.
Children are leaving a large digital footprint. When they are born many people put birth announcements on social media sites such as Facebook. Here are some common things that parents can do to protect their children online.
Many parents wonder what kind of information the hackers were able to find in the VTech database. In addition to getting the information of 6.4 million children, the information of 4.9 million parents was also hacked.
The information that the hackers were able to get includes the name and email addresses of the parents, password information, Internet Protocol addresses, physical mailing addresses, a person’s download history, and encrypted password information. From the children’s accounts, the hackers were named to get the name, age, and gender of the child.
According to the company, no credit card or other financial information was hacked such as payments. This is handle by another company on a third party website.
Some reports say that pictures of the children and chat information may have been hacked but reports did not confirm this information yet.
There are several reasons why people are upset. Parents are worried that this information can be used to build profiles on their children online and put them at risk for identity theft. The Director of research for Pindrop Security stated that since the children do not have a credit history and the parents do not check on a child’s credit they are good victims for identity thieves.
No one may notice this type of fraud for a number of years until a child applies for their first credit card. Many are worried that this information can be used to kidnap a child or even a virtual kidnapping.
A person would be able to call a parent and use the information about the child to state they were kidnapped and demand a ransom to be paid. Voice recordings can be used to really convince the parent that their child is in danger.
Many parents are left to wonder if it is safe to enter their personal information on internet-connected toys. Parents have gotten used to entering personal information for a more customized online experience. There is always a chance that any information they enter can be hacked. Parents need to think of the risks before entering information online.
Experts state that parents can use fake names and pictures on accounts such as Vtech & other electronic Toys that allow online connections. Most sites do not require this information.
Parents are also worried about social media. They tend to share pictures of the children with friends and family.
When posting to social media it is important to check privacy settings to make sure only friends and family have access to an account. Parents should be careful when posting pictures of outing and school events where there will be other people in the classroom. It is advised that people stay away from Twitter which makes information available to the entire world.
Many parents are also concerned about tweens and teens on social media. Parents need to talk to their children about keeping them safe online. Children are growing as fast as technology and parents need to stay on top of advanced to protect their children.
