In addition to tablets, cell phones, and laptops, any smart toys or games children may have that connect to the Internet could lead to their activities being tracked and their data compromised. Worse yet, kids could become vulnerable to online predators. Internet-connected toys and devices, including those equipped with GPS, cameras, microphones, or Bluetooth, along with those that have the ability to store data, could put your children at risk if they aren’t used safely. All of this considered, it is important to secure your home network and devices and establish rules regarding their usage.
Securing your internal network
The first step toward ensuring your children are protected is to secure your home network. Locking your door when you leave home secures the valuables inside, just as locking down access to your internal network at the gateway provides a level of security for the devices behind that entry point. Your gateway device is the doorway separating your internal network from the public Internet and is probably a wireless router, perhaps one that is furnished by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Today’s wireless routers typically offer firewalls to block unauthorized access and encryption that encodes the data within the network to prevent it from being read even if it is intercepted by a hacker. Of course, these features do no good unless they have been activated. Using the router’s model name and number, you should be able to find the device manual online if you don’t already have a copy. Find and review the section about device security and make sure your router’s security features are enabled. If your router does not offer WPA2 encryption and a firewall, consider upgrading to a new device. Many routers also offer parental controls to limit the content children are able to access online. Your ISP and representatives of your local tech store should be able to provide assistance and recommendations.
Make sure your wireless network’s name is not the default name, does not reveal your address, and does not include the model number or manufacturer’s name of the router. Hackers and predators can use this information to their advantage. Also, make sure you use complex passwords to log onto your network and your devices, using two-factor authentication wherever possible.
What is the IoT?
The Internet of Things is made up of everything from smart light bulbs, doorbells and surveillance cameras to refrigerators that let you know what to buy at the grocery store. Included in the list are smart toys, games, and educational tools. Developers of these smart devices do not always put sufficient effort into ensuring their security, thus making them targets for attack by hackers who find and exploit vulnerabilities to gain access to their victims’ internal networks. They’ve even figured out ways to get into networks through smart bulb interfaces.
Securing your IoT and other devices
This may require some online research to determine what controls are available on a particular device and how they are accessed. For devices including your children’s cell phones, tablets, and laptops, it is advisable to change the privacy settings to disable features that could allow too much of their personal information to be revealed. Use parental controls if they are available. Windows, Android, Apple, iPhone/iPad, and other devices have parental controls built in. These offer services including managing app access, blocking of potentially harmful sites, limiting access times, and more.
Devices with GPS capabilities include phones, computers, and tablets, but they may also include some IoT toys and learning tools. While you may wish to leave GPS location services enabled on your child’s cell phone, disabling this functionality on other devices to eliminate the possibility that it could be used by a potential predator is a good idea. Some smart devices designed for kids also have microphones, indicating they could be listening in on conversations and recording or sharing the audio. If possible, disable recording features or set them not to record by default. Perhaps the device is equipped with a switch to disable the microphone. If a device is creating audio recordings and you can access those, delete those that are not needed.
If a device has a camera, you may wish to turn it off if the children are very young. For children who are old enough to understand, talk with them about the potential dangers associated with sharing pictures or videos online. If the camera activates automatically when motion or sound is detected, disabling that functionality is recommended. If the device records video, review and delete those recordings frequently.
Talk with your children
Regardless of their age and whether they think they already know everything, talk with your kids about the dangers of oversharing personal information online and the predators and hackers that are out there. If you need any help with material, there are numerous news stories available online regarding children being targeted through social media, messaging apps, and even through popular game apps including Minecraft and Fortnite.
In closing
In 2017, The Independent, a British newspaper, featured an interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who said he and his wife did not allow their children to have cell phones until they were 14 and that, even then, they limited the amount of time they could spend using them. In a 2014 interview with The New York Times, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had said essentially the same thing – that he limited the use of technology by his children and, for a while, did not allow them to use any device that he had invented. In the years that followed these interviews, online criminals have continued to hone their skills and develop new attack vectors. Technical security controls like firewalls, encryption, and device settings must be combined with education to ensure you’ve done all you can to protect your kids.
