Given the landscape of ongoing security threats, like RTD, most organizations require team members to take regular awareness training. It’s also vital to remember security threats extend far beyond the workplace. Scammers don’t mind getting personal. They’ll target anyone anywhere, not just organizations. That’s why it’s a good idea to apply awareness training concepts to your personal life. Protect yourself. Protect the people you care about. Here’s how to improve your home cybersecurity.
Learn the Warning Signs
There is no shortage of scammers in the world who would love to steal your money or data. By learning the warning signs of their plots, you can avoid becoming a victim. No matter the scenario, stay alert for threatening language, urgent requests, and unrealistic promises.
Develop Household Security Policies
Whether you live alone, have kids, or live with roommates, a household security policy serves to protect data and devices. It should include simple things like using strong, unique passwords for every account and setting social media profiles to private.
Stay Updated
Outdated devices and software often top the list of security concerns. It’s one of the reasons developers routinely push updates that patch vulnerabilities. As a best practice, enable automatic updates so you never miss an important fix that could help protect your data.
Stay Informed
It’s always a smart idea to stay informed of current cybersecurity news. This proactive approach can help you avoid trending scams and other security threats.
We often share stories of security incidents on our LinkedIn page. If you don’t follow us, take a moment to connect. Hearing about these stories could make a difference for your home cybersecurity.
Navigating the Privacy Paradox for Home Cybersecurity
The concept of personal privacy is at odds with the wealth of convenience the internet provides. This conundrum has given rise to what’s known as the privacy paradox. It refers to people who, despite concerns about their privacy, disclose personal information so they can access free online services.
Nothing, of course, is ever actually free. Those services are usually provided in exchange for your browsing habits, age, location, and other personal details, which will be used for marketing purposes.
The question then becomes, what actions can anyone take to balance their privacy with online convenience? The answer isn’t easy, but there are at least a few ways to control your privacy.
Renew Permissions
Whenever you install mobile apps, take a minute to review permissions. Decline any that aren’t necessary for the app to function. For example, a mobile game shouldn’t need access to your contacts or messages.
Opt Out
You’ve probably noticed that many websites ask you to accept or reject cookies. These cookies are how sites store various settings for the next time the user visits. Feel free to reject them for any sites you don’t regularly frequent.
Go Incognito
Most modern web browsers offer an incognito or private browsing mode. It lets you use the internet without the browser tracking your history. This function can help you avoid unwanted advertisements and data collection.
While these privacy measures won’t fully remove the concerns of data collection, they can help manage how your personal information is used. Like all things related to personal security, being proactive is the key.
Since it’s Cybersecurity awareness month, spread the love! Forward our email to friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, housemates and whomever else might find it useful.
Did these topics raise any questions? You know where we are. Reach out if you want to start a conversation about home Cybersecurity, or take a closer look at our Cybersecurity options.