Childrens’ toys can be hacked

Beware the internet of fangs

A report from a UK consumer group, Which? said it has studied so-called “intelligent” toys and said quite a few of them are hackable.

This generation of so-called “smart” toys often have Bluetooth or wi-fi built into them, so a crazed lunatic could hack the toys and get them, for example, to speak directly to a child.

Toys surveyed include i-Que, Furby Connect, Toy-fi Teddy and Furby Connect.

The Bluetooth connections on the toys are unsecured so external devices could be used to manipulate the toys.

Safe toys, said Which? are Mattel Hello Barbie, Wowee Chip and Fisher Price’s Smart Toy Bear.

While a Bluetooth connection only works within 12 metres or so, there are ways to access them from a greater distance.