Not only parents, but also intruders can track the whereabouts of a child using a children’s smart watch. This was reported by Kommersant with reference to Doctor Web specialists.
In particular, experts drew attention to security problems: in the firmware of many watches, including the Russian Wokka Lokka, a standard password is used to send SMS commands, while there is no function of forced change at the first start. An attacker can use a known password and gain access to all information that the smartwatch collects, as well as control over the gadget. For example, if a child is out of reach, a fraudster can take advantage of this and send a message to his parents that he is in trouble and urgently needs money, warned Daniil Chernov, director of the Solar appScreener center at Rostelecom-Solar. In his opinion, the unsatisfactory level of safety of children’s smart watches is due to the low cost of the device.
The specialists also noted that the firmware for Android-based tracker watches is often created by third-party companies. In this regard, it is highly likely that at one of the production stages cybercriminals may inject Trojan or adware into them. For example, a Trojan is hidden in the Elari Kidphone 4G watch, which can be used for cyber espionage, displaying advertisements and installing unnecessary and even dangerous programs. In addition, the tracker’s server, where the child’s location data is transferred, is located outside of Russia.
At the same time, Anton Badaev, Elari’s product director, denies such a possibility. According to him, the device does not have a browser, so it is impossible to install any application that is presented as a virus. He also stressed that servers abroad are needed to determine more accurate geo-location and do not use personal data.
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