Cyber Security Tips for the Summer

Summer is filled with lots of fun. From barbecues to weekend trips, most likely the security of your devices is the last thing on your mind. However, while you are busy enjoying your summer outings, you are placing a large target on yourself for a cyber-attack. 2021 has already proven to be a big year for technology. Be sure to learn what you can do this summer to remain protected so you can enjoy these events.

HAVING A SUMMER BRUNCH

The summer presents numerous opportunities to get together with long lost friends and a brunch can present the perfect outing for you. Unfortunately, scammers have a way of knowing just when to work their magic. There’s a couple of ways your security can be breached when you’re out enjoying your summer brunch.

Public Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi makes it as easy for a hacker to steal your information as a Venus fly trap to catch its prey. Remember when you connect to public Wi-Fi in the barista that you are allowing anyone who hacks into the Wi-Fi access to your passwords as well as any saved financial data. Updates are also something you should never run on public Wi-Fi as many times these can actually be disguised viruses.

Auto Bluetooth Connect: It’s also helpful to avoid connecting to unknown networks. This is a simple switch that will allow you to ensure you are not automatically connecting to anything that a nearby hacker can have access to.

YOUR LONG AWAITED VACATION

Because 2020 put such a damper on so many of our vacation plans, it’s no wonder that so many of us are looking forward to our vacation this summer and making sure it is one to remember. Before you are ready to zip up your suitcase and head to your trip, it’s important to remember a couple of security tips for your upcoming trip.

Turn off Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is often turned on in times that you don’t need it and can lead to unwanted tracking. Another source of internet that you may be tempted to try are the public computers lined up at your hotel. Although convenient, this is yet another trap that criminals can easily take advantage of to steal your information. If you need to use the internet on your trip it’s best to change your password immediately afterwards.

Back Up: Sometimes you can’t help the inevitable, but just because a criminal may be successful in hacking into your device, doesn’t mean it should cause you to lose all of your information. Before any trip it’s smart to back up all the important files and pictures on your device that way if you do unfortunately get hacked, you will have access to your information when you return home.

WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR A FUN EVENT

Summer is filled with walk a thons, concerts and other fun events. However, it can be hard to decipher if these event invites are legit or if they are instead a phishing attempt.

Be on the lookout: From scams that involve tickets to even more targeted ones like fake accounts on social media, there are numerous ways hackers try and trick people into signing up for events in return for their personal information. If you receive an email or message from someone you don’t know, be extra cognizant that the information in the email may not be true and refrain from clicking on any links or downloading attachments. If they are sending you a link to a local walkathon, it’s best to search for that walk-a-thon yourself and sign up on the website.

Change passwords regularly: Consistent change of passwords can be a great way to ensure you are always thinking one step ahead of the hacker. If you want to take securing your credentials a step further, look into setting up multi factor authentication to receive an extra layer of protection.

It’s important to understand that if any of your employees fall victim to an attack, they can bring those into the network when they connect their device to your company network. Unfortunately, this can put all the data associated with your business at risk. For this reason, it is best to get your employees caught up with routine IT training sessions especially as remote work becomes more common.

Nutmeg Technologies is an IT managed service provider based out of Windsor, CT. We are happy to assist companies who are looking to have in-office or remote workforce through secure technology. Contact us today to find a product that best suits your company’s needs.