As you enjoy the holiday season with family and friends, it can be easy to forget about staying safe online. Now is not the time to let your guard down, though. It’s important to remember that hackers are even more active during the holiday season. In fact, the UK-based cybersecurity company Darktrace found there was a 30% increase in the average number of ransomware attacks over the holiday period.
With the increase in holiday travel and online shopping leaving your accounts and devices vulnerable to hackers, it’s important to develop a strong security defense. Ensure your devices stay protected and your data stays safe over the holiday season with our top tech tips.
While using public Wi-Fi may be unavoidable during your holiday travels, it’s best to be cautious and limit your usage as often as possible. Public Wi-Fi is problematic because it’s often not protected, leaving you more exposed to risks and cyberattacks. Norton offers a wonderful guide to public Wi-Fi usage, which includes tips like avoiding accessing sensitive information, turning off public file sharing, using “HTTPS” websites, and more. With these tips in mind, you can stay safe during the times when public Wi-Fi is all you have available.
Before you head out on your holiday travels, double check your devices are updated. This includes your phone, laptop, and tablets, as well as any operating systems, web browsers, and applications you use frequently. While simply updating your devices isn’t a sure-proof way to protect them, updates often come with security patches. You can also turn on automatic updates so you have one less thing to worry about during the holidays.
Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an excellent way to add an additional layer of security to your devices and accounts. We recommend enabling it whenever possible. The CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) reminds us why MFA is so important: “MFA increases security because even if one credential becomes compromised, unauthorized users will be unable to meet the second authentication requirement and will not be able to access the targeted physical space, computing device, network, or database.” What’s more, using MFA is one of the top security defenses against cyber attacks.
In addition to MFA, consider developing strong password habits — especially considering that 80% of data breaches involving hacking are connected to passwords. We recommend using passphrases with a combination of lower and upper-case letters, symbols, and numbers, as well as varying your passphrase for each account. You may also want to consider using a password manager to keep track of all of your passwords in one secure place. These services can even suggest strong, unique passwords for you and warn you when one of your passwords has been compromised.
Losing your data would surely sour the holiday. Make sure your data stays protected and backed up so you can recover it in the event of a cyber attack. Storing your important files, documents, and photos in cloud services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, and Google Drive are easy and secure ways to protect your data and allow it to be accessible from anywhere.
If you’re interested in additional support this holiday season and beyond, consider AllConnected’s IT security services. We offer a comprehensive suite of IT Security solutions to ensure your business, employees, and extended teams stay secure and your data stays protected. By identifying your unique security risks, our team of IT professionals can recommend the best security solutions for your business — from email and DNS security to mobile device management and cybersecurity training. Learn more about our security services or feel free to contact us anytime. Until then, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!