Don’t Let Your Guard Down This Festive Season
Don’t forget to stay conscious of cyber security rules as we approach the holiday period.
At this time of year, when everyone is full of the joys of the season, you may be less inclined to be suspicious of the motivations and activities of other people.
However, this would be a mistake. Christmas and the busy shopping period in the run-up to it is a prime time for cyber criminals trying to take advantage of busy and distracted individuals. Symantec data shows that both the spam and phishing rates increased in November, which is not unusual. Spam often peaks in November, with spammers trying to take advantage of people’s interest in big shopping days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles’ Day.
People should also be on the lookout for things like fake delivery notes or fake confirmation emails, as these are a favorite vehicle for cyber criminals at this time of year. There was a very sophisticated scam last year targeting customers of Amazon that attempted to steal victims’ credit card information.
If you are buying or getting technological presents this holiday then remember two words: safety first. Ensure that any new laptops, tablets, or phones are running the latest version of their operating system and install decent security software on them straight away. Ensuring your device is running the most up-to-date operating system means that it should be patched against any recently discovered vulnerabilities.
If you are bringing any smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo or Google Assistant, into your home this year, then you should read Symantec’s white paper on the security of these devices. The paper underlines the issues you may need to be aware of. Many of the issues that were found with them would probably fall under the category of “annoying” more so than anything else, but they are still things those buying them should be aware of.
Remember to guard the security of any other Internet of Things (IoT) devices you bring into your home over the festive period, too. Change the default passwords on the devices, and keep their firmware up to date. Also, if you can, create a separate network for them so they are isolated from any other connected devices you have in your home. This will prevent cyber criminals from using your potentially less well-secured IoT device to get a foothold onto your home network.
Be particularly careful if you are buying secondhand IoT devices, and make sure you carry out a factory reset on any secondhand devices before you start using them.
Also at this time of year, don’t forget to follow “regular” cyber security rules:
· Set a strong and unique password for all your different online accounts and devices
· Use two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible
· Keep your software patches up to date
· Don’t open unsolicited emails
· And, remember, always be vigilant online!
Follow these tips to stay safe, and have a very happy and festive holiday season!
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