’Tis the season to be secure

In this flavor of good volition information technology is important that we as security professionals share our noesis with friends and family who are less tech savvy than usa. Requite the souvenir of security and rubber over the holiday menstruation by helping them out every bit they shop online, go acquainted with new devices and navigate the cyber landscape during a time when seasonal scammers ramp upward their action.

Don’t give an attacker your identity

Cybercriminals are not just interested in plundering funds during the holidays – they are looking to give themselves identities that tin can be repurposed to access accounts or used for fraud. Protect login credentials and proceed them safely wrapped up (in a password manager or memorised).

Buying presents online

While your friends and family inquire yous what you lot’d similar for Christmas remind them that attackers ramp up their seasonally-themed lures at this fourth dimension of year. To ensure their safety while shopping online pass along these tips:

  • Use trusted online shops and payment services. Scammers know the excitement of seasonal shopping can deject people’southward judgement when presented with a bargain or 2. Consider how much you lot would trust an offer contained within an unsolicited e-mail and laissez passer that wisdom to your friends.
  • Once the presents have been ordered online watch out for delivery and postage stamp scams. The email letting y’all know you have an outstanding debt to pay on your delivery may be a bot trying to acquire login credentials or personally identifiable information. Cheque its source.
  • The traditional sales on offer after Christmas or New year’s day’s 24-hour interval tin can invoke a buying frenzy. Enquire your family members to exist especially on guard at these times.

New phones

If you or your family unit members are lucky enough to receive a new prison cell phone there are a few actions you tin can take to ensure the device is as secure as possible.

  • Help them to fix upwards authentication on the device (a pin or passcode to support the fingerprint or facial recognition).
  • Upgrade to the latest version of the operating system and update apps too.
  • Don’t download dodgy or off-store wink-in-the-pan apps offer to let you know your Elf Name. Cheque the reviews of any doubtable app and install a mobile anti-virus app to stop those malicious apps getting a foothold.
  • Consider enabling cloud backup for those festive pics should the phone go missing.
  • Enable phone location discovery via the congenital-in apps or install a tertiary-political party app to reach the same. This volition assistance should the telephone be stolen or the owner mislay it due to ane too many sherrys.
  • Warn your friends and family about making un-vetted connections over social media and oversharing personal information.

Vocalism assistants

What amend way to solve the debate of how to cook a family repast then asking Alexa for the recipe?  While some of united states of america may find a voice assistant under the tree information technology is important to review the security of the network information technology is being connected to.

  • Have the opportunity to change any remaining default WiFi passwords to something else more than secure and unique.
  • Ensure anti-virus is installed on the other devices continued to the network, including cell phones, laptops and desktops.
  • Update the router to the latest patches while y’all are in at that place.

Give the gift of a credit score check

While I tin can think of more fun presents, in this age of data breaches it can put people’due south minds at ease to know how to perform a credit score check or depository financial institution account transaction review. There are multiple costless services, or annual subscriptions that tin be had for a pocket-sized fee, that permit regular checks or generate alerts when something is amiss. Online banking apps are rather secure these days and can let quick checks to ensure no unusual transactions have been fabricated on accounts used to shop online.

Earlier you exit piece of work for the holiday intermission

Attackers unfortunately don’t deadening downwards during the holidays. They realise businesses are vulnerable as vital staff take a much needed vacation.

  • Ensure you lot accept an incident response programme in place for your organisation that is ready to execute should the worst happen when a package of personal information and intellectual holding is delivered downward the attacker’s chimney of stolen information.
  • Don’t put too much personal information, names, job titles and phone numbers in your Out of Function bulletin. A phisher could accept advantage of your Out of Office reply to perform social engineering science on your colleagues or suppliers.

Flavour’south Greetings

Nosotros wish all of our readers and customers a very happy holiday flavor and a prosperous New Yr!

See you in 2019.

Carl Leonard

Principal Security Analyst

Carl Leonard is a Principal Security Analyst inside Forcepoint X-Labs. He is responsible for enhancing threat protection and threat monitoring technologies at Forcepoint, in collaboration with the company’due south global Labs teams. Focusing on protecting companies against the latest cyberattacks that…

Read more articles by Carl Leonard

Source: https://www.forcepoint.com/blog/insights/tis-season-be-secure

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