With Christmas and Three Kings Day around the corner, toys are a very common gift in the homes of our country and in recent years they have changed a lot, since more and more toys have some type of connection to internet which makes them susceptible to malware attacks and scams.
This is what Miguel López, General Director of Barracuda Networks warns: “This makes them a very attractive target for cybercriminals, who can use these toys as a Trojan horse to introduce spyware and various malware into the family environment,” he says.
“Many toys include some type of camera, microphone, connection with applications… and in many cases the software they run does not incorporate even the most basic practices and security measures. At the same time, children do not have the knowledge to suspect that a toy may pose a risk and, many times, parents themselves do not consider this possibility either,” warns the expert.
Therefore, education from a very young age is essential to confront these threats: “I believe that all members of the educational environment should have training, at least basic, in cybersecurity. Both parents, teachers and, of course, the students themselves have a degree of responsibility regarding the cybersecurity of their environment,” considers López.
“In addition to this training of the human element, it is also very important that our educational institutions have the necessary cybersecurity infrastructure and tools to be able to implement control measures over the use of mobile devices and social networks in the school environment,” the expert reflects.
In any case, the final control over these connected toys will be that of the parents, to whom López advises to follow these recommendations to avoid problems on the network: “The first step would be to verify that they have security certifications at the European level. In addition, it is important to carefully review the manuals and user guides for the device itself and, to the extent possible, establish a configuration that is as restrictive as possible regarding the ability of the toy to send information abroad. , he points out.
On the other hand, there are also other devices to monitor: “If we refer to other elements such as mobile phones, tablets, computers or consoles, it is very important to understand that these devices have a great capacity for connecting and processing information and are platforms perfect for cybercriminals to implant all types of malware,” he highlights.
“For this reason, you should always have security software from a reputable source deployed on these devices, ensure that the latest security updates for your operating systems are installed and avoid by all means illegal software download sites, platforms fraudulent games, applications for ‘rooting’ mobile phones, ‘pirated’ games,” explains López, who recalls that “in many of these cases the result will be the compromise of the device and free access to it for cybercriminals.”
Having cybersecurity training is essential for both individuals and companies. For this reason, it is increasingly common to look for professional profiles who know how to defend devices against these innovative virtual crimes.
With the Master in Cybersecurity you are trained to establish protection of computer systems, networks and devices against cyber threats, including data theft, espionage, malware, phishing, denial of service attacks, among others.
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