Smart toys are gaining popularity among children and parents, but that’s a bit worrisome. This is what a cybersecurity expert is warning about these toys.
Smart toys and smart stuffed animals can be quite fun. They can talk, move and interact with kids in a whole new way.
But, these toys are basically small computers. And as such, they are vulnerable to hackers. According to Columbus computer expert Matt Curtin, these toys are too dangerous, 10Tv reports.
The problem, Curtin says, is that these toys generally have poor security. Parents also don’t know what the companies do with the information these toys gather.
There are certain risks. For example, hackers can get to the data and then encrypt it and demand a virtual ransom for it. Or they can use it to eavesdrop on children and private home conversations.
Some consumer privacy advocates even say retailers should stop selling such smart toys. At least until they become more secure. Parents should also take steps to secure their home routers and WiFi networks. At the least they should change the password on the router from the default to something else, experts say.
