New Family Challenges for Canadians as Connected Lifestyle Grows: Intel Security Survey
Today, we are seeing the rise in popularity of the smart home and its connected devices. In fact, Gartner forecasts that “there will be more than 10.5 billion ‘things’ in homes by 2020,” which creates a potential risk that the devices and personal data that flow from them can be compromised.
Despite their concern of online risks and living a digitally led lifestyle, parents tend to use older methods to monitor their childrens’ device usage. 36% of Canadian parents monitor their child’s device usage by keeping the device in their possession and giving it to them only when the parent is around, while only 14%say they use software to monitor activity, according to a recent global study from Intel Security.
“While there is tremendous excitement for the conveniences that today’s technology brings, we know the weakest link in those devices within a connected home put consumers at risk,” said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at Intel Security. “We must empower parents to actively manage how their families interact with those devices.”
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Bedtime habits have changed a lot since the introduction of smartphones and tablets. 49% of Canadian parents allow their child to bring an internet-connected device to bed, according to the report, titled “New Family Dynamics in a Connected World.” Yet 27% of survey participants stated that they have argued with their child about bringing a device to bed.
To keep families safe, Intel suggests discussing online safety with children early, starting with simple rules like “don’t open emails from people you don’t know.” Remind kids that anyone can create a profile online and to decline social media requests from strangers. And use protected solutions to manage your network of smart home connected devices.
