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If You Connect, Protect It!

November 6th, 2020

We are connected to cyberspace more than ever before in history. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us into working from home, distanced learning, and so many other aspects of our lives are online.

Do these things to help you stay safe in an online world:

Protect all your devices with Anti-Malware/Anti-Virus

This includes your tablet and mobile phones! Yes, you heard right…Your PHONE! Our phones have as much power and capability as a computer. We are also more apt to click on something while browsing on our mobile device thinking that we are secure. What about your kid’s devices? Our children are now connected for school, gaming, tablets, and phones. So our entire family is connected in different ways, every day. Look first to your existing anti-virus for your home computer, as many of them offer to protect up to a certain number of devices. Do it! Then see what your internet provider offers for mobile security. Norton and McAfee are offer common anti-virus and anti-malware solutions.

Change the default passwords of your Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices

The Internet-of-Things are all those conveniences we use that connect to the Internet — things like your doorbell that allows you to view who is at your door, even when you aren’t home. Or that sweet lady named Alexa that does things for you just with a whisper or command. Or the king of connectors, your Internet router provided by your service provider. All of these devices rely on a user name and password that is configured by the company that produces them. These passwords are simple, common, and more importantly accessible by anyone who can google. Look up the setup instructions which will tell you how to connect to the device to change the password and the userID.

Get a password manager and stop saving passwords in your browser

A password manager is a secure encrypted digital safe for your passwords. It enables you to create those strong passwords you are always urged to make and saves them for use when you need them. There are password managers that offer family accounts, ones that are cloud based so you can access your passwords from anywhere, and ones that secure these very important items locally on your device. LastPass is a common password manager. Choose whichever solution fits you and your family’s needs. To turn off password saving in your browser go to your browser settings, passwords, turn off ‘Offer to save passwords’.

Remember Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.


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