Cybersecurity threats targeting children in 2024
The majority of kids can access or possess a smartphone or tablet; therefore, the age at which they first interact with technology and the digital world is getting younger. In order to better safeguard their children from potential danger, parents must keep up with the most recent cybersecurity concerns.
The following are some major cybersecurity developments that parents should be aware of and share advice with their kids on how to keep their internet activities safe:
AI solutions that don’t currently offer the requisite level of cybersecurity and age-appropriate material will be used by children more and more: Approximately 80% of young people said they engage with AI numerous times a day, according to a UN study. AI has led to the emergence of several obscure applications with seemingly innocuous functionality, such as uploading a photo to get a modified version. When kids upload their pictures to these kinds of apps, they never know which databases those pictures will end up in or if they’ll be used in any other way.
Furthermore, when asked, AI apps—chatbots in particular—can readily deliver content that is inappropriate for the user’s age. For example, there are numerous AI chatbots that are made expressly to offer an “erotic” experience. Some people insist on age verification; however, this is risky because kids can lie about their age, and there isn’t enough protection against it.
An increase in malevolent individuals targeting younger gamers: The most recent online data indicates that 91% of kids between the ages of 3 and 15 use a gadget for gaming. Unmoderated text and voice chat are big elements of the experience in several games. More youths are using the internet, which allows crooks to electronically gain trust the same way they could in person. First of all, by enticing young players with presents or friendship promises, fraudsters win their trust. After winning over a young gamer’s trust, they groom them or even recommend they click on a phishing link that downloads a dangerous program onto their device under the guise of a game mod for Fortnite or Minecraft in order to get their personal information.
The emergence of new risks coincides with the growth of the FinTech sector for children: A growing number of financial institutions are offering specific services and products for minors, such as 12-year-old banking cards. However, as youngsters can now have bank cards, they are also more vulnerable to traditional scams and financially driven threat actors. Examples of these include offers of a free PlayStation 5 or other valuables in exchange for card details entered on a phishing website. Cybercriminals may take advantage of children’s confidence by pretending to be peers and asking for the sharing of card information or money transfers to their accounts. This is known as social engineering.
There will be a rise in the quantity of smart home threat cases with children as possible targets: Though threats against smart home devices are becoming more frequent, manufacturers are taking their time developing cyber-immune technology that proactively blocks possible exploits of vulnerabilities. But it also implies that in an attack, kids could end up as cybercriminals’ tools. For example, when a child is at home alone and a smart device turns into a fully functional surveillance tool, cybercriminals can use the device to get in touch with the child and ask for private information like their name, address, and time when their parents aren’t home, or even their credit card number. In this kind of situation, there’s not just the risk of gadget hacking but also the possibility of financial data loss or even a physical attack.
Kids will expect that their private internet zone is respected: As kids get older, they become more self-aware, which includes knowing their own personal space, privacy, and sensitive information, both online and offline. Thus, not all children will accept it well when a parent adamantly states that they want to install a parenting app on a gadget. For this reason, it is increasingly necessary for parents to be able to talk to their children about their online experiences and the value of using digital tools responsibly while maintaining personal space. This entails talking to any child about the purpose of using the app and setting up clear expectations and restrictions.
Youngsters want to download apps that aren’t available in their country but often end up downloading malicious versions instead: When an app isn’t available where they live, young people often search for alternatives, which are frequently malicious copies. They continue to be at risk of becoming victims of cybercriminals, even if they use official app stores like Google Play. The Harly Trojan infected around 190 Google Play apps between 2020 and 2022, tricking users into paying for things they weren’t aware of. The real number of victims may be far higher than the cautious estimate of 4.8 million downloads for these apps.
Conclusion
2024 appears to be a significant year in the field of cybersecurity. AI technologies are posing a variety of new opportunities and challenges as they become a more important part of our lives. This year is bringing us significant changes, such as the integration of AI into our personal devices and the advent of increasingly sophisticated digital blackmail schemes. It’s evident that the cybersecurity landscape is changing rapidly. Managing these adjustments will be essential. In this day of rapid technological innovation, being aware, alert, and prepared is more crucial than ever.
