Cyber security has not always been something that parents had to worry about. Parents have always been worried about where their child is and who the child is with. This concern has led many parents to adopt the use of technology in keeping tabs on their children.
One of the devices parents now use is the smartwatch which they use to track their children’s whereabouts. It is therefore scary and a major source of concern for parents to learn that some of these smartwatches are actually very easy to hack. This discovery was made by a security researcher and published on BBC News.
Implication of Hacking these Smartwatches
There are a few scary implications here. First, the researcher noted two key issues. One was that the account of the user was not protected and secondly, the data was not encrypted. This means that anyone who gains access can see all the information supplied.
For a clearer understanding of the huge cyber security issue we are talking about here, here are a few things the security expert found he could do once he easily hacked the wristwatch:
- He could turn on the watch’s microphone and listen to whatever is happening there.
- If was very easy to monitor the child’s movements.
- He could make fake phone calls to the child, making it look like it was from the parents.
- Change the “Safe Zone” location set by the parents of guardian. This means that the parents will not longer get a warning alert when the child goes beyond the safe zone they originally set.
Since the data is not encrypted, a hacker will easily see the child’s picture, name, date of birth and gender. The child’s height and weight will also be there as well as the parents’ phone numbers.
Parents’ Role in Cyber Security
With this development, it is now clear that parents should now take more interest in the subject of cyber security as it can now affect their children. The particular smartwatch reviewed was so easy to hack that the security researcher recommended that it be discontinued.
As a parent, you must ensure that any device you get for your children will not compromise their security. If it’s a tracking device, ensure it is top quality and not easy to hack. Even your child’s laptop webcam can be a source of danger to the child. This is because hackers can take control of it and be watching your child. A simple webcam cover will fix this issue.
If there was ever a time when parents should take cyber security seriously, it is now.
