Global Security software provider ESET has unveiled a new tool to help parents monitor what their children are doing online. The ESET Parental Control for Android app provides provides age and category-based filters and will restrict children’s access to inappropriate web content.
The application also comes with an ‘Application Guard & Time Management’ function that will also help parents regulate the amount of time their children spend on gaming and internet browsing. It also comes with a ‘Child Locator’ service which can be used to track their child’s location.
Speaking during this announcement, ESET East Africa Area Manager, Mr. Bruce Donovan said that children are increasing accessing the internet from mobile devices as opposed to computers increasing the need for parents to manage what their children do with their tablets and smartphones.
“We conducted a study that showed 88 percent of parents are worried about what their children can access online. Out of these, 71 percent mentioned their children had in the past forwarded personal details to strangers; while 61 percent highlighted excessive amounts of time spent on devices,” Mr. Donovan said.
Despite parental fears and the move by the Communication Authority through the Child Online Protection Campaign, only few of parents have installed a parental control app to help manage their children’s online experiences, the survey revealed.
The company says the ESET Parental Control for Android app safeguards children on smartphone devices by giving them protection and user experience, without limiting performance. Designed to help parents protect their children against internet threats and inappropriate web pages, the app boasts a wealth of child protection features and a friendly user interface.
“Even as we offer protection, it is important that the application creates and builds a respectful relations between parents and children who use their own smartphones or tablets,” Mr. Donovan added. It enables them to be sure that children of all ages can enjoy the wealth of information and entertainment available online without the fear of online threats.
The app contains an added option for children to ask their parents for special permission to access certain apps or web content, or ask for extra gaming or browsing time. ESET Parental Control for Android is available from the Google Play Store, at the my.eset.com portal or via ESET’s partners.
“It is always best to first teach your child the correct way to use the internet then make them aware of the risks and dangers that can result from misuse, making it clear that parental control tools are installed for their own safety,” concluded Mr. Donovan.
Other additional features of the ESET Parental Control app include the ‘Parental message’ which is allows the parents to read SMSes sent to the child and the ‘Reports for Parents’ which sends regular emailed to parents on their children’s internet usage.
With COVID-19 concerns canceling
face-to-face meetings, be aware of the security risks of videoconferencing and
how to easily overcome them
As a way of
controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have been
forced to impose a lockdown on its citizens bringing normal operations to a
near stand-still. Consequently, a considerable percentage of the working
population has turned to remote
working, a chunk of it for the first time.
This has spiked
up the demand for video conferencing services, chat systems, and online
collaboration tools to serve the increasing number of students, employees, and
teachers, among other experts working from home.
By 11th March 2020, Kentik―a San Francisco network operator— had achieved a 200% increase in video traffic within the provided working hours in Asia and North America. Even before the start of the official lockdown in California.
In the same
vein, the UK Prime Minister chaired
a cabinet meeting via zoom, which communicated the government’s appeal for
social distancing through the use of video conferencing. His actions, however,
brought about several questions regarding the security of the communication.
But with a quick
rejoinder, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre pointed out that such
communications shouldn’t cause any worries if they are below particular
classifications. Accordingly, companies have developed confidence in the
technology; therefore, are utilizing it to communicate with their remote
workers.
Nevertheless, as
an employee (or typical user), you need to understand the technology’s built-in
security options, as well as control features before using it. Here we provide
you with some primary considerations. Let’s dig in!
Your immediate surroundings
For you to
realize a smooth and quality video conferencing experience, it is essential to
cordon off your working space to prevent in kind of interruptions that might
occur while in session; for instance, from your kids, better half, or even
pets.
Besides, ensure
that your working area is devoid of any sensitive or confidential
information/material that can be captured by the camera.
Limit access
As you may be
aware, a lot of video conferencing platforms allow the creation of multiple
user groups to enable the providence of internet domain according to specific
criteria; for instance, the use of company email address to join a video call.
Or offer access
to a limited number of people whose email addresses have been invited or
scheduled for a call.
As such, when
creating a meeting, you can enable the set a meeting password option that
creates a randomly generated code for your invitees to input before joining a
conversation. Similarly, you can authenticate those using phones by the use of
a numerical password. However, avoid embedding the password in the meeting
link.
As an organizer,
you can hold your participants in a “waiting room,” as you approve
them one by one, which gives you full control over whom to allow or deny
access. In case you have a large conference, you can delegate such duties to
your trusted attendees.
File transfers and communication over the net
As a rule of
thumb, always ensure that your end-to-end communication is encrypted. Do not
assume that this option is the default for video calls since a few services may
require you to request encryption.
If the third-party
endpoint client software is permitted, ensure it abides by the requirements of
the end-to-end encryption.
What’s more,
consider limiting the types of documents you can send across the net; for
instance, avoid transferring executable files.
Manage the attendees, as well as the engagement process
Often, your
attendees will be distracted by notifications, pop-ups, and emails, among other
things, when attending your conference calls. Therefore, as a host, you can
request notification from your service provider if your conferencing client
isn’t the primary or active window (depending on your platform). For instance,
if you are a tutor, you can use this feature to get the attention of all your
students.
You can also
monitor those who joined the call by downloading the attendee list at the end
of the call. Or request attendees to register before being connected.
Limit screen sharing capabilities
As the host, the
sole responsibility of controlling screen sharing remains only yours, unless
you delegate it to someone else that you trust. This eliminates any chances of
an individual sharing content by mistake.
Importantly,
only share the required application rather than the whole desktop when screen
sharing. This is informed by the fact; even the name of a file or Icon can
divulge sensitive company information.
Final thoughts
To ensure the
security of your company communications, take time to consider all the
available options security settings on your video conferencing system (or one
you intend to use) settings. Importantly, take a look at the privacy policy of
the service you intend to use to prevent the selling, sharing, collection, or
re-use of your data.
In case you
require more advice and endpoint client software for your video conferencing
needs, then ESET has been here for you for over 30 years. We want to assure you
that we will be here to protect your online activities during these uncertain
times, too.
Protect yourself
from threats to your security online with an extended trial of our
award-winning software.
The scam
machine shows no signs of slowing down, as fraudsters continue to dispense bogus
health advice, peddle fake testing kits and issue malware-laced purchase orders
As the
Coronavirus pandemic continues to escalate, more companies
are now shifting to remote work as a way of containing the spread of the
disease. Similarly, lockdowns and travel bans, among other stringent measures,
have become the order of the day across several nations. And to worsen the
situation, there is a massive shortage of the required medical kits.
Such a crisis
provides fraudsters undue advantage over a vulnerable lot that is financially
destabilized, as well as emotionally drained as a result of the pandemic.
In this case,
you would likely receive fake updates regarding the pandemic, as well as
non-existent offers for personal protective equipment, among others. Likewise,
if you’re a business, you would certainly receive faux purchase orders and
payment information.
Fortunately, as a follow up to our previous article about the ways scammers are exploiting coronavirus fears, we provide you with a few examples of the new campaigns aimed at stealing your money or personal information. To enable you to keep your guard up. Shall we?
Fake news/information
As the virus
continues to escalate, more people are currently searching for practical
information on how they can protect themselves. As a result, scammers have
conveniently positioned themselves as the true COVID-19 information
“crusaders” by impersonating well-known health organizations, such as
the World
health organization.
Don’t act
surprised if you receive an email (containing an attachment) supposedly coming
from a reputable health organization offering you “vital information”
on how you can protect yourself from the disease.
For instance,
our research team identified one such file containing a Trojan designed to
steal personal credentials.
Apart from the
WHO, fraudsters are also impersonating the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). Accordingly, the FBI has given a warning about scummy
emails mainly riddled with malware-infested attachments and links purporting to
originate from the CDC.
To reduce the number of people falling for
such schemes, the WHO shares examples of its official email addresses and
methods of communication on its website.
Urgent purchase orders and late payments
Owing to the
increased pressure from governments to reduce the spread of the virus,
Companies, as well as factories, have been forced to streamline their
operations according to the current situation. As an example, companies to
integrate work from home modules, while factories to either increase or reduce
their production capacities depending on their products.
Such erratic
changes have brought about a climate of uncertainty that offers fraudsters a
thriving environment.
In this case, as
a factory owner or executive, be on the lookout for “urgent purchase
orders” from “company representatives.” Since this fake orders
come from scammers who want to make a kill out of your desperation of making
some revenue before things go south.
Sadly, if you
download such “urgent orders” (usually in attachments), your PC will
be installed with malicious
code designed to steal your details.
Below is an
excellent example of such an “urgent order”:
Similarly, you
would receive a “proof of payment” for you to take care of the order.
However, like the last example above, instead of receiving a bank statement,
the attached document contains a Trojan injector.
High demand products
A massive
increase in demand compounded with an inadequate supply for essential
protective items, such face masks has created another avenue for scams.
A typical
example of such a scam involves a fraudulent site that is offering
“OxyBreath Pro” face masks at a reduced price. These can lure you
since there is a shortage of masks, and what is available is highly-priced.
However, if you
click on the provided links, you’ll be at risk of exposing your sensitive
personal information to the scammers.
Bogus testing gear
The
unavailability or short supply of medical kits for testing folks for the virus
has also attracted fraudsters in droves.
For instance,
the existent low supply of masks, respirators, and hand sanitizers, among other
necessities, has prompted scammers to impersonate medical officials. So that, they can provide non-existent or
fake COVID-19 test kits, as well as illegitimate “corona cures.”
As an
illustration, more than 2000, links associated with fake coronavirus products
have already been identified. Similarly, law enforcement bureaus alongside
other relevant bodies have been able to seize US$
13 million worth of potentially hazardous pharmaceuticals.
To contain these
despicable actions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued
warnings that it hasn’t allowed the sale or purchase of coronavirus
self-testing kits; therefore, it is currently bursting such sellers.
Final thoughts
In a wrap, what
we have shared is a representative of the many current fraudulent campaigns
doing rounds in our media spaces due to the prevailing situation.
Thus, it is
critical to maintaining high alertness to avoid falling victim to both the
COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the ensuing scam epidemic escalating through the
internet. To keep yourself safe from the scams, you can practice the following
basics:
Avoid downloading files or
clicking on links from unknown sources
Never fall for unrealistic
offers or order goods from unverified suppliers. You may also make a point of
checking out the purported vendor’s reviews
Invest in an excellent endpoint
solution which can shield you from phishing
attacks, as well as other forms of scams
If an email suggests coming
from a reputable organization, double-check with the firm’s website to confirm
its authenticity
If you require
consultation, as well as endpoint solutions for your cybersecurity needs, then
ESET has been here for you for over 30 years. We want to assure you that we
will be here to protect your online activities during these uncertain times,
too.
Protect yourself
from threats to your security online with an extended trial of our
award-winning software.
ESET East Africa
