Older More Independent Children May need access to OTP Passcodes.

ParentShield Child-Safe Network

One Time Passcodes are useful, but can be risky on a child's phone

More applications and services use Machine-Generated 'OTP' passcodes for verification. ParentShield is the only network to allow Parents to control their use.

DERBY, DERBYSHIRE, UK, October 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- More and more applications and online services use machine-generated OTP "One Time Passcodes" sent via SMS to authorise spending or activation of applications. For adults this provides a convenient and safe way to authenticate a transaction or approve the installation of an application.

ParentShield has released a new feature that puts this feature in the hands of parents for safeguarding purposes when their child is using a mobile phone. Many adult or age-restricted applications will use this procedure to verify the user's phone number - often before making it available to other users of the application. So when a phone is used by younger children, ParentShield customers can choose to 'trap' all Machine-Generated SMS in their ParentShield Portal for review. If it's suitable, it's a simple operation to forward the OTP passcode to the child's phone.

For older children - who routinely require OTP passcodes to authorise Banking or Spending transactions, Parents can simply disable the automatic trapping and allow the SMS to reach the child's phone in real time. The switch in the powerful ParentShield Portal is active instantly and can be used to allow OTP Passcodes to be received when needed or appropriate or turned off at other times. This is a new feature added today.

What is an OTP

OTP stands for One Time Passcode. It's typically a four-to-eight character code sent to a phone to provide a 'second channel' of authentication for many modern processes - ranging from authorising credit card transactions, to authorising an application on the phone. They usually are time-limited so need to be read and keyed into another application within a few minutes or hours of sending.

OTP make transactions more secure as only the person with access to the designated mobile number will receive the SMS.

All mainstream Mobile Networks will send all machine-generated or 'M2P' sms through to a mobile phone regardless of the application or service that they are for. Many 'scam' attempts will also send enticing official-looking machine-generated SMS designed to trick users into clicking on a link or divulging sensitive information. A link can easily be encoded in such a way that simply accessing it will divulge the phone user's personal information.

Other Machine-generated SMS can also be used trigger malware on a vulnerable and out of date phone and cause it to send SMS to other users in the phone's address book that may convince the recipient that the SMS is intended.

About ParentShield

ParentShield is the UK’s only Mobile Network designed specifically with children in mind, incorporating a wide range of tools - from call recording to keyword alerts - that allow parents to oversee their child’s phone usage without invading their privacy. It can work with any unlocked feature-phone, smartphone or smartwatch and does not require any app or parental controls to be set on the device. Its features are handled remotely, allowing for optimal convenience while kids retain their independence. The SIMs work across the UK and beyond.

The Network is an independent MVNO with thousands of users across the UK. Due to its focus on child protection, ParentShield is used by parents and the care sector for safeguarding Children in various situations.

Being a SIM-based network-side service, parents can provide ANY unlocked phone to their child and give them a totally normal mobile phone experience without the stigma of being a locked or crippled "parental control" phone that you wouldn't want to show their friends in the playground.

Graham Tyers
Engine Mobile Ltd.
+44 1283707057
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