7 Tips to Keep Your Family Safe Online Over the Holidays
Security experts offer key cyber advice for family members.
Image: Adobe Stock/Bavorndej
1. Take Care of Your Passwords
John Pescatore, director of emerging security trends at the SANS Institute, says despite industry efforts to move to passwordless authentication, passwords themselves aren't going away anytime soon. That means everyone needs a strategy. He recommends people create three passwords (keep reading), write them down on a piece of paper, and store it in a safe place at home where only a trusted few can access.
The idea is to have three tiers of passwords: strong passwords for financial accounts, email, social media, and healthcare; medium strength for subscriptions to news sites, membership clubs, and sites you don't want someone else to pretend they are you but don't really expose any financial information; and low strength for sites that force you to enter a user name and password just to print a coupon, get a discount, or read an article.
(Image: Adobe Stock/ Metamorworks)
2. Be Careful Using Public Wi-Fi
With so much holiday travel, that means more people are accessing public Wi-Fi at airports and public transit systems, says David Dufour, vice president of engineering at Webroot. He advises people to avoid inputting credit card information or making purchases on public Wi-Fi, where the bad guys can hijack that information. If you need to conduct transactions while traveling, use a VPN on both your laptop and phone. Otherwise, only use the public Wi-Fi to look up basic information, such as to find local restaurants, movie times, or sports scores.
(Image: Adobe Stock/ldprod)
3. Beware Online Shopping Scams
Scammers prey on busy consumers looking to make last-minute holiday purchases, says Webroot's Dufour. His advice? Only makes purchases from reputable sites. Criminals know the top brands each holiday season and spoof sites to lure you in. Consumers also need to watch out for phishing emails disguised as promotional coupons from popular retailers or airlines. As a rule, don't click on a promotion. Go to the site and make sure the deal is legit, or call the retailer and make the purchase over the phone. Another tip: Use different credit cards for different purchases to distribute the risk if one card gets compromised.
(Image: Adobe Stock/creative soul)
4. Make Sure You're Donating to Trustworthy Charity Organizations
Many people give charity at the end of the year to support a cause they believe in and also for tax purposes. Webroot's Dufour advises people to do their research. Use Charity Navigator or Give.org to make sure the charity organization is legitimate. Don't fall for any group that creates urgency around a donation, especially if it calls you several times. In fact, as a general practice, you shouldn't answer a call unless it's one of your phone contacts anyway.
In addition, never pay a gift card by wire transfer. Pay by credit card or check. If it turns out to be a scam, you can recover your money back. Wire transfers, however, can't be reversed. Finally, don't send gift cards to a charity. Dufour says scammers will try to collect multiple gift cards and then sell them at a reduced rate. "A charity will never ask you for a gift card," he warns.
(Image: Adobe Stock/Karen Roach)
5. Be More Careful on Social Media
People often don't think through how they use social media. The SAN Institute's Pescatore says people should never participate in a Facebook survey. Security questions from legitimate websites will ask for personal information such as a first pet's name or what street a person grew up on.
And if you've gone out of town, he says, it's best to post your photos when you get home. People often telegraph where they are going or what they are doing without thinking about how scammers can criminals can take advantage of them. In many ways, people are simply saying: PleaseRobMe.
(Image: Adobe Stock/Di Studio)
6. Educate Your Children About Online Scams
The average 12-year-old may often be more cyber-savvy than many adults, but younger children may not be, and they need to be educated. Chenxi Wang, managing general partner at Rain Capital, says kids need to understand that online predators are out there. If they're spending a lot of time playing video games online, they should be taught not to give out their names, where they live, or where they go to school to anyone they are interacting with online, she says.
The SAN Institute's Pescatore also warns that parents should not get T-shirts made with their child's name and then post a picture of them wearing the shirt online. "And if your kid is 'CIO' of the house, pepper him or her with security questions just to be sure they are aware of the common scams," Pescatore says.
(Image: Adobe Stock/New Africa)
7. Gift an iPad or Android Tablet for the Holidays
One good way to stay safe in the new year is to ask for an iPad or Android tablet for the holidays, the SAN Institute's Pescatore say. The security built into Apple and Android devices is simply much better than on Windows machines,he says, adding that many of the attacks and malware just won't launch on iOS or Android.
Apple prides itself on the rock-solid security of iOS, and the Android world has become much better. Low-end iPads can be purchased for under $300, so for people who mostly need a computer to browse Web pages, check email, and read the news, it's an easy way to stay safer.
An iPad or Android tablet also may be good for an elderly parent who finds a laptop too intimidating and confusing to use.
(Image: Adobe Stock/Sushiman)
7. Gift an iPad or Android Tablet for the Holidays
One good way to stay safe in the new year is to ask for an iPad or Android tablet for the holidays, the SAN Institute's Pescatore say. The security built into Apple and Android devices is simply much better than on Windows machines,he says, adding that many of the attacks and malware just won't launch on iOS or Android.
Apple prides itself on the rock-solid security of iOS, and the Android world has become much better. Low-end iPads can be purchased for under $300, so for people who mostly need a computer to browse Web pages, check email, and read the news, it's an easy way to stay safer.
An iPad or Android tablet also may be good for an elderly parent who finds a laptop too intimidating and confusing to use.
(Image: Adobe Stock/Sushiman)
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Another holiday season is here – and scammers are out in full force. Since security pros can never really have a day off, you can expect to field at least a few questions about online security while spending time with family and friends at your holiday gatherings.
To help you prepare, we asked some security experts about the pointers they'd share. Most agreed that getting control of credentials and passwords is the No. 1 best thing consumers can do to stay safe online.
Then offer this proof: A Microsoft research team, for example, recently reported that so far in 2019, the team checked more than 3 billion credentials and found that more than 44 million Azure AD and Microsoft Services Accounts were compromised.
Ouch.
What else should your loved ones know? We've done the homework for you so you don't have to think too hard while trying to relax. Offer these seven tips, and everyone will be well on their way to a safer 2020.
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