The British are losing interest in it Parental control appswho are not only exposing their children to malware, but also their own electronic devices.
That’s according to a new report NordVPNwhich states that the number of downloads of the most popular parental control and monitoring apps in the UK fell by 1% in the first quarter of 2023.
The VPN Experts analyzed the download data for Microsoft Family Safety, Google Family Link, Qustodio Parental Control App and FamiSafe-Parental Control App and sounded the alarm after seeing the drop. To put things in perspective, last year these apps saw 41% growth. Compared to 2021, the downloads of these five apps decreased by 2.40%, the researchers said.
Just like the flu
By losing interest in parental control apps, parents not only expose their children to various digital threats, but also their own devices, files, and digital identities.
As explained by Marijus Briedis, CTO of NordVPN, the problem with malware is that it can quickly travel from a child’s infected device through the home router to otherwise protected endpoints. Even if it just stays in the router, that’s still a big risk:
“Parents forget that malware epidemiology works much like the flu or the coronavirus: even if you’re careful and take protective measures, you can still get sick from your child, who isn’t necessarily as careful as you are,” Briedis said.
He added: “So while arming your devices with cybersecurity solutions or trying to avoid malicious content and apps is a good first step, you should also monitor your children’s online behavior and take other protective measures.” Your home network is as secure as its most vulnerable part.”
To stay safe, parents should ensure their children’s devices are properly protected and remember to regularly update their router’s firmware and rename the network, also known as SSID, from time to time.
“Most importantly, you need to protect all of your connected devices, especially those used by children,” Briedis concluded.
