Smart Safety: Security and Parental Control Apps

 Infecting a whole home network with dangerous malware does not require the skills of an experienced hacker. A child with a smart device can do it just as well as a highly-skilled professional by downloading an infected file which, through the router, can infect other devices connected to the home Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, according to research by NordVPN, a leading cybersecurity company, downloads of the most popular parental control and monitoring apps in the US shrank by more than 26% during the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same period last year.

Moreover, downloads of five of the globally most popular apps (Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link, Qustodio Parental Control App, FamiSafe-Parental Control App, FamilyTime Parental Control) in the last year have decreased by 2.40% in comparison to 2021.

"Parents forget that malware epidemiology works similarly to a flu or the coronavirus: even if you are careful and use protective measures, you still might get sick from your child who is not necessarily as cautious as you are. So while equipping your devices with cybersecurity solutions or trying to avoid malicious content and apps is a good first step, you should also track your children's behavior online and take other protective measures. Your home network is as secure as its most vulnerable part," says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.

The forgotten link between a child and a router

A child and a router is the most vulnerable combination for the cybersecurity of a home network. On one hand, children usually are the most unprotected consumers, because parents tend to focus more on the security of their own devices. On the other hand, kids and tweens are the ones who are most eager to click on colorful ads, open suspicious links, or download apps and games from untrusted sources, which often distribute cracked and infected software.

But if an infected device is connected to the home Wi-Fi, the scope of the problem might be even bigger. While a router is the central device in a home network, it's also probably the most vulnerable because most people do not take the necessary steps to protect it from malware.

"The connection between a router and a device is like a two-way bridge: sophisticated malware from an infected device can spread to the Wi-Fi router and infect other devices connected to the home network. It can also stay in the router and collect data from any other device in the network or change router settings and redirect users to malicious websites. There are several steps internet users should take to protect their routers, like regularly updating the router's firmware or renaming the service set identifier (SSID). Still, most importantly, you have to protect all of your connected devices, especially those used by children," says M. Briedis.

The way to better security: Education and the right software

While educating children about cybersecurity threats and cautious behavior online is crucial to protect them and all family members from malware, experts also advise using technological solutions to minimize risks. For example, parental control apps do not only monitor messages, emails, or social media but also block websites with malicious content.

Antivirus and privacy protection solutions should also be considered. It’s worth having a tool like Threat Protection, which scans files for malware during downloads and blocks malicious websites, trackers, and intrusive ads, which are critical ways of spreading malicious malware.

METHODOLOGY

NordVPN analyzed statistics of downloads of parental control apps from the App Store and Google Play during the periods of 1 January - 31 March 2023, 1 January - 31 March 2022 and 1 January - 31 March 2021 as well as during the years of 2021 and 2022. The list of analyzed apps included Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link, Bark - Parental Controls, Qustodio Parental Control App, FamiSafe-Parental Control App, MMGuardian Parental Control, Parental Control App - Kidslox, and Parental Control App - OurPact.

ABOUT NORDVPN

NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, used by millions of internet users worldwide. NordVPN provides double VPN encryption and Onion Over VPN and guarantees privacy with zero tracking. One of the key features of the product is Threat Protection, which blocks malicious websites, malware during downloads, trackers, and ads. NordVPN is very user friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, and has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide. For more information: https://nordvpn.com.