Smart Toys Can Pose an Identity Theft Risk

There are smart homes and smartphones. But were you aware of smart toys?

Children’s toys that connect to the internet are a new trend that major toy distributors are getting behind. Fisher-Price offers four interactive stuffed animals that use technology to recognize and talk to children. Over time, the toys adapt to a particular child and learn to recognize the child’s voice. This allows them to choose games and activities a child likes.

These new toys are generating a lot of buzz—but also some concern. And the concern is not unfounded. It was recently reported that CloudPet, a company that sells internet-connected teddy bears, left more than 800,000 customer credentials and two million message recordings completely exposed online for anyone to see and listen.

Sadly, breaches like this shouldn’t come as a surprise. As we reported earlier, smart home hacking and fitness tracker hacking are rising risks. Connected cars are also at risk of leaking personal information.

The good news is that you can take several steps to reduce the risk of identity theft when it comes to smart toys. You can read the privacy statements that come with smart toys to see what kind of information they share. It also helps to change the default password to a newer, stronger password.  

Of course, it’s still possible to fall prey to identity theft even after taking these precautions. That’s why it’s worth considering identity theft protection coverage. An insurance professional like an Erie Insurance agent can tell you more about this affordable–and increasingly necessary–coverage.