Woburn, MA – January 19, 2024 – Today Kaspersky experts shared a list of the top cybersecurity trends parents should be aware of this year, and provided tips on how to safeguard children's online activities.
With most children able to access or own a smartphone or tablet, the age at which they begin their acquaintance with the digital world and technology keeps decreasing. Therefore, it’s crucial for parents to stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats targeting kids to better protect them from potential harm. Kaspersky experts shared the following threats that will face children in 2024:
1.
Children will increasingly use AI tools that, so far,
are not ready to provide the necessary level of cybersecurity and
age-appropriate content
According to UN research, about 80 percent of young people claimed
they interact with AI multiple times a day. With the development of AI,
numerous little-known applications have emerged with seemingly harmless
features, such as uploading a photo to receive a modified version. However,
when children upload their images to such applications, they never know which
databases their photos will ultimately remain in, and whether they will be used
further.
AI apps, specifically chatbots, can also easily provideage-inappropriatecontentwhen prompted. For instance, there is
a multitude of AI chatbots that are specifically
designed to
provide an “erotic” experience. Even though some require a form of age
verification, this is dangerous since some children might opt to lie about
their age and the prevention of such cases is insufficient.
2. The growth of malicious actors’ attacks on young
gamers
According to the latest
online statistics, 91 percent of children aged 3-15
play games on some kind of device. For some games, unmoderated voice and text
chat is a large part of the experience. With more young
people online, criminals can virtually build trust in the same way they would
in person. Cybercriminals sometimes lure young players with gifts or the
promise of friendship. Once they have the confidence of a young gamer, they
then obtain their personal information by suggesting that they click on a
phishing link, which downloads a malicious file onto their device disguised as
a game mod for Minecraft or Fortnite.
3.
The development of FinTech industry for kids marks the
appearance of new threats
An increasing
number of banks are providing specialized products and services
tailored for children, including banking cards designed for kids as young as
12. But this makes kids susceptible to financially motivated threat actors and
vulnerable to conventional scams such as phishing. Using social engineering
techniques, cybercriminals might exploit children’s trust by posing as peers
and requesting the sharing of card details or money transfers to their
accounts.
4. The number of smart home threats targeting children will
increase
Despite the
increasing number of cases of threats to smart home devices,
manufacturers are not rushing to create cyber-immune tech that preemptively
prevents potential exploits of vulnerabilities. However, this also means
children can become tools for cybercriminals in an attack. For instance, if a
smart device becomes a fully functional surveillance tool and a child is home
alone, cybercriminals can contact them through the device and request sensitive
information such as their name, address and times when their parents are not at
home —
or even their parents’ credit card numbers. In such a scenario, beyond just
device hacking, there is also a risk of financial data loss or even a physical
attack.
5. Children are eager to download apps that are unavailable
in their country, but stumble upon malicious copies
If an app
is unavailable in your region, young users will sometimes look for alternatives,
which are often a malicious copy. Even if they turn to official app stores like
Google Play, they still run the risk of falling prey to cybercriminals. From 2020
to 2022, Kaspersky researchers found more than 190 apps infected with Harly
Trojan on
Google Play, which signed up users for paid services without their knowledge. A
conservative estimate of the number of downloads of these apps is 4.8 million,
but the actual figure of victims may be even higher.
“As we can see, many of the trends that are playing out in society are also affecting children, making them potential targets for attackers,” said Andrey Sidenko, security and privacy expert at Kaspersky. “This includes both the development and popularity of AI and smart homes, as well as the expansion of the world of gaming and FinTech industry. Therefore, it is crucial to teach children the basics of cybersecurity from an early age how not to fall into the trap of cybercriminals, what cyberthreats can occur during gaming, and how to properly protect your personal data. All this is now a must-have knowledge not only for adults, but also for the youngest users.”
To learn more about cybersecurity threats targeting kids in 2024, read the full post on KDaily.
Kaspersky experts suggest protecting children with the following proactive measures:
·
By
staying informed about the latest threats and actively monitoring their children’s
online activities, parents can create a safer online environment for their
kids.
·
It’s
crucial for parents to have open communication with their children about the
potential risks they may encounter online and to enforce strict guidelines to
ensure their safety.
·
To
help parents introduce their children to cybersecurity amidst the evolving
threat landscape, Kaspersky experts have developed the Kaspersky Cybersecurity
Alphabet
with key concepts from the cybersecurity industry. In this book, your kid will
get to know new technologies, learn the main cyber hygiene rules, find out how
to avoid online threats, and recognize fraudsters’ tricks. After reading this
book together, you’ll be sure that your kid knows how to distinguish phishing
website, how VPN and QR-codes work, and even what honeypots and encryption are
and what role they play in modern cybersecurity. You can download the pdf version of the book for free and go
through the basics of cybersecurity with your child, building their cybersafe
future.
·
To
secure your child from downloading any malicious files during their gaming
experience, we advise to install a trusted
security solution
on their device.
·
With
the right tools such as Kaspersky’s digital parenting app Safe Kids, parents can effectively safeguard
their children against cyber threats in the digital age.
