Children could be doing the same dirty work as experienced hackers — albeit by mistake — in compromising their home Wi-Fi networks, experts have found.
A new study from cybersecurity company NordVPN has found that downloads of parental control apps in the U.S. declined by 26% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time last year. The top VPN provider stated that this worrying trend could leave home networks more vulnerable to malware infection.
While people are generally becoming more aware of proper cyber hygiene and online safety — like securing their devices with strong antivirus software — the research highlights that children and tweens may not exercise the same precautions.
By moving away from parental control apps, households are unknowingly reducing their own levels of security and opening up a potential infection point.
“A child and a router is the most vulnerable combination for the cybersecurity of a home network,” NordVPN said in a press release.
“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,” the company added.
Downloads of Top Five Control Apps Decreased by 2.40% in 2022
NordVPN’s study looked at the download stats of eight parental control apps (Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link, Bark, Qustodio, FamiSafe, MMGuardian, Kidslox, and OurPact) on the Google Play Store and App Store during the first quarters (Jan. 1 through March 31) of 2021 to 2023. The study also analyzed the download data from the whole of 2021 and 2022.
According to their research, downloads of the five most popular apps in this category declined by 2.40% compared to 2021. NordVPN pointed out that apart from screening messages, emails, and social media, parental control apps also block access to malicious websites.
Marijus Briedis, NordVPN’s CTO, advises parents to look at the situation through the same lens they would a medical virus infection.
“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,” Briedis said.
“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,” he added.
Dangers of Infected Home Router
NordVPN stressed the dangers of an infected device connecting with the home network, especially since most people do not take adequate measures to secure their routers. Briedis warned that the router could turn into a medium that spreads malware onto other connected devices.
“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,” Briedis said.
“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,” Nord’s CTO added.
NordVPN recommends using software tools to scan files and detect malware during downloads. Its Threat Protection tool, released in 2022, offers these services while also blocking malicious websites, intrusive ads, and trackers. Check out our NordVPN review to learn more about Threat Protection and other safety features.
