Summer is in full swing and that means vacations, parties, festivals, road trips, and plenty of downtime for kids on summer break. Summer is a great time to unwind and break away from our devices while we enjoy the season with our friends and families. However, the bad guys on the internet don’t take a break and as summer rolls along, online privacy and security risks are still there looking for their next target. Don’t let a cyber security incident ruin your summer. The world we live in demands attention to online safety and privacy all year. Here are some quick tips to help keep your family safe this summer.
- Be mindful of what you post. We love to share our summer adventures with friends on Facebook and other social media. Nothing wrong with that but just be aware of what you are sharing and with whom. These posts can keep friends and family up to speed on summer fun but they can also send clues to the bad guys about where you are and may reveal details about your family that you might be better off keeping private. For example, it’s better to post after you’ve returned from a trip. Otherwise, you may be advertising that you’re away and leaving your home unattended. If you can’t resist sharing, check your settings to limit the audience. Turn off public posts and only share with trusted family members and friends.
- Don’t let your devices take a vacation. It’s nice to take a break from our phones, computers, and video games while we enjoy summer, but those devices are still there waiting for attention in the form of software updates. Keeping your device software up to date is one of the easiest ways to prevent bad things from happening. Take time to update devices or better yet, turn on automatic updates and check in once in a while to make sure your devices are running the latest secure software and apps.
- Keep devices secure when travelling. Make sure that the phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices accompanying you on vacation are kept secure and out of sight. If keeping devices in a car, lock them in the trunk or place them out of sight (glove box, under the seat, etc.) Remember that these devices don’t like extreme heat so only leave in a locked vehicle if you must when they can’t be with you. Don’t leave these expensive devices out in the open in your hotel either. Use the hotel safe when you leave them in the room. And of course, make sure you have set a PIN code and enabled remote tracking in the event that your device is lost or stolen (e.g. “Find My iPhone” or similar feature).
- Keep learning. Awareness goes a long way in keeping you safe an secure online. Summer break is a great time for kids (and adults) to level up their security and privacy game. If your children participate in a summer reading program, you can even make online safety and privacy part of that experience. The Center for Cyber Safety and Education is offering a learning bundle that includes 3 Garfield comic books and access to elearning for a little over $20. It’s a fun way to keep kids on top of issues like cyber bullying and privacy. You can find the learning bundle here: https://www.cybersafetykits.org/collections/cyber-safety-home-packets/products/digital-garfield-home-packet-bundle-holiday-deal
I hope everyone has a #CyberSafeSummer. Unplug, have fun, and be safe!
