The holiday season is upon us, and so are cybercriminals . According to a recent McAfee study , nearly one in five consumers shop online every day. This, combined with remote work and distance learning due to COVID-19, has greatly increased online activity and, by extension, cybercriminal activity . So how can families enjoy the holidays and the holiday spirit without worrying about data breaches and other risks at home?
There are some security steps you can take to secure network during this and any other period, which include:
• Use strong passwords
Although creating complex and unique passwords can be time-consuming, it is still crucial to protecting yourself from data breaches at home. Whenever you create a new password, use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. The longer and more complex the better.
• Disable remote management
Many newer modems automatically enable “remote management.” This feature allows access to the Interneteven when you or your family members are not home. And, while you and your family can use your Internet remotely, so can anyone else, including hackers. Whenever possible, it’s best to disable this feature.
• Change WiFi name
Instead of keeping the SSID set by WiFi , it's better to choose a new name for your network. This is because many of the network names created by a provider come with the password assigned by the ISP, which remains unchanged, thus increasing the risk of breaches to your network.
In addition to changing your WiFi name, it is important to also change your password, following the same pattern we mentioned above.
• Updating your modem
An out-of-date modem will definitely give cybercriminals a hard time. It is very important that your modem firmware has the latest updates.
Additionally, be very careful when providing personal information to websites. Make sure that the websites you visit start with “https”, which means they are encrypted. It is also best to choose websites from well-known companies that provide greater security.
