Relatório traz um alerta para os pais sobre o tempo de uso e a segurança de dispositivos móveis usados por jovens

It is known that, for better or worse, the presence of digital technology is an irreversible fact in our lives, and this also applies to the many thousands of users under 18 years old - children and adolescents are increasingly connected through mobile devices. Looking at the different ways in which digital technology is affecting the lives of girls and boys, and also identifying risks, the report “The State of the World’s Children 2017” released by UNICEF recently identified that one in three internet users worldwide is under 18 years old. We know that the internet can be important for the development of children and young people, but this data brings an alert for parents and guardians regarding the time of use, the content accessed, and the security of these devices, as they are security mechanisms and solutions that need to protect our children from the threats existing in the virtual world. “The popularization of technology draws the attention of hackers who are looking for vulnerabilities to act in a criminal manner. Therefore, the concern of parents and guardians should be redoubled, since cyberattacks are increasingly common and any security flaw can cause problems, from financial to personal,” says Bruno Prado, CEO and President of UPX Technologies. To avoid exposing young people dangerously online, and aiming to increase the digital security of devices, the research report lists four attention points so that adults can guide the younger ones: 1. Beware of phishing attacks You know that suspicious email that offers the latest smartphone for just one click on the link? Yes, this type of action is very common and is called “phishing.” The goal is to draw people's attention to thereby gain access to personal information, such as name, CPF, and address, among others. Therefore, stay alert if the content of the message is dubious. 2. Product advertisements on suspicious websites Children are vulnerable to advertising, which is why Brazilian legislation does not allow content aimed at this audience. With greater access for young people to the internet, some fake ads may influence them to enter banking information of parents and guardians to purchase certain products. In addition to keeping this information out of children's reach, it is important to keep security tools updated to prevent access to malicious websites. 3. IoT devices hijacked for DDoS attacks Some estimates indicate that 20 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2020, with many of these devices aimed at children, such as electronic baby monitors and GPS sensors. A survey by Kaspersky Lab has already identified more than 30,000 infected IoT devices in Latin America this year. Criminals take advantage of the vulnerability of these devices to use them in denial-of-service (or DDoS) attacks, which overload a provider to make it unavailable. Therefore, it is important to include these products in security care, to prevent against this type of criminal action. 4. Beware of the corporate cell phone If children use devices of parents and guardians, the attention should be even greater, especially if the device is also used in the corporate environment. This is because if the device is not properly protected, an innocent action can bring a virus into the corporate network, and cause critical damage such as leakage of confidential data and even financial losses to the company. Source: Security Information News