SPS Teach team members had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Eric Ebner, CEO of Protocol 46 on the importance of Everyday security at a recent internal ‘Know More to be More’ (KMTBM) event. During the event Eric highlighted the heightened increase in new cyberattacks during the pandemic, stemming from remote work. He mentioned four main points that will improve our home and personal cybersecurity.
Social media companies collect their user’s information such as their location, associates and spending habits. Consumers don’t always have visibility into how this information is used. To avoid sharing your private information Eric suggests:
- Restricting social media to friends you know
- Utilizing downloading your data on social media
- Closing unused accounts and deleting your data permanently
- Frequently reviewing and/or collecting who can see your information on social media
Online Payments are secure; however, cybercriminals can get ahold of your contactless payment card information resulting in financial theft. Tips Eric suggested for online payments include:
- Turning it off and/or disable the tool when it is not in use
- Purchasing a wallet and or purse with a metal shift to deter cybercriminals from pinging your cards and getting your credit & debit card info
Home Security has also evolved throughout the years with some homes not keeping up with the technology needs to keep their personal information safe. Eric suggested various home cyber safety tips, such as:
- Purchasing a good Wi-Fi router that has a strong firewall (tip: you might hear them called “next generation”)
- Separating your work devices from other internet-connected devices
- Using a good Wi-Fi router that can report the number of devices on a network & periodically checking to make sure you know the devices connected to your network
- Saving important documents and data and protecting it securely
- Keeping devices up to date and installing anti-malware and/or anti-virus systems
Having a strong password is imperative. Always ensure your passwords are strong and unique. Also, the enabling of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is beneficial because:
- It is the best security measure
- It protects you from account takeovers
- You know who logged in
- It’s easy to use
We hope these tips from a cybersecurity expert will help you all to improve the quality of security within your home and personal life!
~Megan Abdirahman, Associate Security Analyst II
