IC3 Offers Tips Regarding Safety of Internet-Connected Toys

This month, the FBI’s Internet Crime & Complain Center (IC3) issued a warning to parents regarding internet-connected toys. It isn’t clear why it has done this right now or if there was something specific that triggered it. However, even though it isn’t a popular toy-buying time, it is never a bad time to be reminded that these days, even Barbie can spy on your kids. The IC3 provided some tips for making sure your kids’ cyber safety is preserved, even during playtime.

• Research the toys. Find out if there are any reported security issues with them before giving them to your children.

• Only connect the toys to trusted environments. In other words, don’t log them in while you’re at the coffee shop using its public WiFi.

• Find out the device connection security measures. Use authentication when connecting with Bluetooth and encryption when the data is transmitting data between it and the server it connects to.

• Update the toys’ firmware and software as soon as updates and patches are released for it. If they don’t get applied automatically, be sure to regularly check for these updates.

• Research the companies storing the data and if their reputations are less than, well, reputable, consider not giving the toy to the child or not connecting it.

• Read the disclosures and privacy policies from any company involved with accessing data from the toy and what they will do if they are attacked or if the data from the toy is exposed to unauthorized parties.

• Ensure the toys are turned off when not being used. When they are being used, monitor the activity between the toys and the partner parent application. If something is suspicious, look into it further.

• Always use strong and unique login credentials for any user accounts associated to the toys.

• Don’t provide more information to the toy’s manufacturer or partners than necessary. They don’t need to know your child’s birthday, social security number, or preferences.

For more information on protecting children under the age of 13, take a look at the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It was updated in June of this year. You can also check out more information by reading the entire IC3 advisory, which is Alert Number I-071717-PSA.