Summertime Security Tips

As the weather heats up, the kids switch from school to summer camp, and the adults look forward to some well-deserved beach/lake/pool time. Unfortunately hackers don’t take vacation and they may actually have more time on their hands to wreak havoc – so we have some quick summertime security tips to protect your workplace and family from cybercrime:

• When you’re out of the office on vacation, and using a webcam to monitor your home – make sure you register it, create a strong password (at least eight characters, alphabetical, numerical, and special) for accessing the video feed, and update the firmware associated with the device. Webcams are susceptible to external malicious hackers, who may want to peek into your living room for a variety of reasons. Ensure yours is locked down.
• What apps is your child using during their summer down time? Do they capture geolocation or real-time data, and is it shared? The recent Pokemon Go crisis from earlier this season illustrates that hackers take many forms, including those using live-player games to track real-world locations of users.
• Out of town or out of the country? Avoid unsecured Wi-Fi networks and fake hot-spots, which may be bait for unsuspecting Internet seekers. Hackers that use these tricks are trying to capture login credentials and any information you send across the unsecured network.