IoT Toys Security: Ensuring Your Child’s Toys are Uncompromised

The internet is growing more prevalent in our lives by the day, and few things demonstrate that as aptly as the Internet of Things (IoT). Over the course of this short informative guide, we are going to be taking a look at IoT toys security in specific and how they can be taken advantage of to exploit vulnerable points.

Before we get into the specifics, let’s make sure that everyone is on the same page.

What is the Internet of Things?

If you are going to learn about IoT toys security, it helps to know what the IoT is in the first place. While it may sound complicated, the Internet of Things is exactly what you think it is. It is the network connection between physical objects, including (but not limited to) smart devices, appliances, and much more.

While this massive degree of interconnectivity has quite a few benefits, there are also some disadvantages to this practice, and that is what we will be focusing on today. More specifically, we are going to be taking a look at children’s toys that are connected to the Internet of Things.

IoT Toys?

So what exactly is an IoT toy? Toys that are connected to the Internet of Things can accomplish a wide range of tasks that are only possible for them.

While we can sit here all day and detail what IoT toys do, we figure that it would be a better idea to give you some concrete examples of some of the most well-known IoT toys. Keep in mind that there are thousands more toys than these on the market, and it is impossible to list them all.

Improved IoT Toys

These toys are akin to regular toys that have expanded capabilities using the Internet of Things. For example, a Transformer toy from Mattel that has extra features. Most improved IoT toys have relatively limited functions, and they present less of a risk.

Robotic Toys

These toys are usually controlled by a remote, and they have some sort of functionality that can only be accessed using the IoT.

Wearable Devices

As with wearables for adults, these toys can resemble dumbed-down smart devices, and they can have access to quite a bit of sensitive info.

Risks of IoT Security Being Compromised

So what can happen if hackers get control of your child’s Internet of Things toys? Well, that depends on what kind of toy your child has and how active they are on it. Wearables tend to present the most significant risk as they often feature microphones and cameras on them that can give hackers all the info they need.

Keep in mind that your child doesn’t need to have their IoT toy with them at all times for hackers to get hold of sensitive info. Many IoT toys will catalog your child’s interactions, and you don’t want that info to remain with hackers.

Conclusion

As you can see, IoT toys security is an integral part of keeping your child and your family’s info private. This field will only continue to expand in the future, so the time is now to address this matter.