What Cybersecurity Experts Have to Say About Using Android Spy Apps to Monitor Your Child's Activities

There are many vulnerabilities in the online and digital world, lying just around the corner to attack those who are oblivious to their existence.

The most susceptible ones are children, who out of their curiosity and naivety, get easily persuaded. They are more likely to fall for the tricks of fraudsters and spammers and thus there is a need to protect them more.

Cybersecurity experts suggest using parental control features that offer transparency and control over the children’s online and digital interactions and activities. One way to do this is by installing an Android Spy app to monitor them.

In this article, you will learn all about the threats and cyber security vulnerabilities there are, the opinions of experts on it, and lastly what you can do to avoid them.

Data Privacy Risks

Children are very proactive on social media, they like sharing everything on these platforms with their connections, whether it is a place they have visited or going to visit, whether it's a food item they are passionate about, or sharing their general thoughts, you can find everything about their life on their social media handles.

For popularity, sometimes they don’t even secure their profile and keep it open for everyone, which basically means that anyone with an account on that platform can access and see everything on their profile.

This increasing amount of personal information sharing on the Internet generates privacy concerns. The data is not only open to the public but also exposed to cyber criminals, who, once they get their hands on it, misuse it. This can also lead to identity theft or fraud.

What Can We Do?

Randy Abrams, Director of Security Research, at ESET, says “Security requires constant vigilance.”

The best way to avoid Data Privacy Risks is by keeping constant vigilance on what our child shares on the Internet, whether it is social media or networking apps.

To monitor social media, Android Spy applications have a social media monitor that can track activities on all the popularly used applications such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, etc. on which children interact with others.

It also covers networking apps like LinkedIn, Skype, Google Hangouts, Imo, and more. Additionally, you can listen to the audio recordings of the calls exchanged with social media platforms like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, Hangout, etc.

By constantly monitoring their interactions on social media platforms, you can check what your children are talking about and with whom. Not only that, but you can also see the date and time of their interactions so that you can understand when a particular event happened.

These comprehensive features of the social media tracker can help you keep the data of your child’s phone safe and prevent data privacy risks.

Cloud Security Risks

Children have a habit of clicking pictures wherever they go, whether it is of the places themselves or theirs and the people around them. Keeping the issue of uploading these pictures on social media aside, they also upload them to the Cloud to make space for more pictures and sync them to their drive so that they can be accessed from anywhere and any device and they can also have a backup.

But there’s one problem with this arrangement, the gallery not only holds the pictures of moments but is also used to keep a soft copy of important documents such as mark sheets, Aadhar, etc., and the Drive also holds a copy of these documents, so that children can use it to fill forms and upload documents instantly.

Although it's not a bad practice, keeping the Drive safe is something that most people overlook. Using third-party cloud-based services in search of cheap alternatives to upload tons of pictures is another risk that needs to be addressed.

While pictures of the moments themselves can be a big problem if spammers get a hold of them, documents can pose a bigger threat, which we cannot afford.?

What Should Be Done?

Troy Hunt, Security Expert and Creator of Have I Been Pwned, says “Weak passwords are the biggest contributor to breaches.”

We need to monitor what pictures our children keep on their devices and consequently restrict them from uploading the ones that contain sensitive information on the Drive or Cloud.?

The picture tracking feature of Android spy apps lets you check the pictures they click, download, and take screenshots of. As for the media they share, you can check what they are sharing, with which particular contact, and at what time.

Furthermore, even if they need to keep documents on the drive, we should have a word with them about using strong passwords to authorize access and keep their documents safe.

Human Errors and Insider Threats

There are many human errors that can occur, due to which data security can be compromised. It can happen when children fall for false promotions and offers and click on the links that they receive either in their email or SMS or even in their DMs on different social media platforms.

Then there is the threat of such people who pretend to be friends but, in reality, are foes who intentionally leak your personal information, data, or pictures. We need to keep an eye out for our children and protect them from such individuals.

What Action Should Be Taken?

Kevin Mitnick, a former hacker and now security consultant, says, “Attackers don’t exploit weaknesses in systems; they exploit weaknesses in people.”

We need to make our children strong, not only physically but also emotionally. We need to teach them about human traits, how they behave, and how they can deceive you. You can monitor their interactions on social media, emails, and even what they share on these platforms with the help of Android spy applications, but one thing that can be even more impactful is their own attentiveness.

So, along with their systems, keep them mentally strong and make them immune in such a way that no one can exploit any of their weaknesses, be it a stranger or a friend.

Moreover, you can keep an eye on their surroundings with advanced monitoring features like Live Commands of Android spy apps to ensure that wherever they are and with whomever they are, they are safe at all times by listening in to their surroundings or checking on them through their device’s camera, which can either take pictures or show you a live stream when commanded.

These live features work best to prevent your children from becoming targets of human errors and any insider threats.

Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks

While we are trying to keep everything in check, social engineering attacks like malware are spreading. Malware is software that is designed to hijack a network or a device and steal data by sending ransomware viruses and worms through phishing attacks.

Often they are sent via some links, or even through multimedia files nowadays, and are difficult to recognize because they look legitimate. Once they are clicked and opened, they steal your data or even take full control of your device, and then fraudsters demand a heavy ransom to give you back access to your data or device.

What Can Be Done To Prevent These Attacks?

Troy Hunt, Security Expert and Creator of Have I Been Pwned says on the matter of online security that “Breaches are inevitable; it’s how you respond to them that matters.”

Although you are monitoring and doing everything in your power to keep your children safe, breaches are inevitable because there may be some times when you don’t get to monitor them. The best thing you can do in this situation is to immediately report these fraudsters and take back control of your device and your data.

Android spy apps let you check the contact details of people with whom your child exchanges messages on social media, it also tracks the email IDs of those with whom they exchange emails. Once you get these details, you can report them if anything goes wrong.?

Another thing that you can do is, talk to your kids about social engineering attacks and educate them on the most common types, such as Smishing (via SMS), Vishing (over voice communication), Email phishing, etc. Also, alert them on types of malware, such as ransomware, trojans, bots, viruses, etc.

IoT Device Vulnerabilities

IoT Devices, such as smartwatches are linked to our mobile devices and are under-secured because they don’t have proper security protocols. When we connect these IoT devices to public Wi-Fi, we are basically inviting cyber criminals to attack them and inevitably target the machines connected to these IoT devices.?

Once the cyber fraudsters access these machines, which means our phones, they can install malware, which can cause severe damage, including data theft.

What To Do?

Bruce Schneier, a renowned cybersecurity expert and author, says that “Security is not a product, but a process.”?

Even if you have every security measure in place, you need to understand that it's not just about the product. Whatever application, software, or authentication measures you put in, you need to stay vigilant by updating the device and continuously monitoring it with the help of Android spy app features.?

Make sure to monitor your child’s phone internet status and see if they connect to public Wi-Fi. If they do, have a word with them about its potential risks. Look out for any suspicious media files or links being sent to their system, and take action against them before they cause harm to children.

Your Takeaway

“Privacy and security are human rights,” says Eva Galperin, the Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Her words emphasize the importance of understanding privacy in safeguarding people's digital lives. While we may not be able to fully instill this understanding in our children by offering a few examples, we can guide them gently, allowing them to learn through experience. It's important to support them from the background—ensuring they know we’re there for them, ready to supervise and assist when necessary, even without them being fully aware. In this regard, Android spy apps can help us fulfill this role.

As Brian Krebs, an investigative journalist and the founder of Krebs On Security, says, “If you don’t monitor your system for breaches, you won’t know when you’ve been breached.” Therefore, we must focus on monitoring our children's mobile devices to identify when they might be at risk and when intervention is required.

The right spy app understands the need for privacy, as these apps avoid relying on third-party solutions for storing tracked data. Instead, they securely store information on their own servers. Furthermore, when opting for apps based in India that comply with local laws and regulations, you can rest assured that your data will be well protected.

Some apps that fit this category include ONEMONITAR, CHYLDMONITOR, ONESPY, and ONELOCATE.

Above all, it’s essential to keep an eye on the people around your children, especially their close friend circles. These individuals are likely to know the most personal details about your child and, if their relationship sours for any reason, could cause harm.

To conclude, let’s reflect on the words of Kevin Mitnick, a former hacker turned security consultant: “The number one cause of security breaches is human error,” so let's do our best to ensure our children avoid falling victim to this common mistake.