Experts say digital products for children have weaker online security. (Photo : Reuters)
The recent hack issue concerning the Hong Kong-based VTech underscores the weaker security features of digital products for kids.
The news involves over six million children whose identity may have been exposed through the products Kidzoom smartwatch and VTech Innotab.
As of writing, the motive for the VTech breach nor the actual result whether the hacking has already resulted in an identity theft is not yet known.
According to U.K.-based Juniper Research's estimate, shipments of toys that connect to the Internet might increase by 200 percent for the next five years. In line with this, experts argue that this booming industry may be threatened by weak online security.
"The last thing you would ever imagine is that a toy manufacturer would lose your child's identity," Liam O'Murchu, a Symantec Corp. researcher, said.
Known for his work studying complex malware produced by nation states, Liam added: "This shows that it's harder and harder to do things safely online."
In the VTech breach, the firm's customers are urged to give personal information such as name, address and birth date to sign up for accounts where they can download other items and updates.
The company stated that the hackers compromised its Kid Connect, a mobile app that allows parents to communicate with their children who have tablets, and its Learning Lodge app store, a platform that offers contents for children's tablets.
Meanwhile, Juniper Research further noted that the number of toys that gather data from users is expected to grow annually by 58 percent.
