Summertime is coming up. Taking a break from work or school? Don’t take a break from online safety when it’s about your PC and your mobile device! You’ll soon break your usual routines in favor of spending time in the sunshine with family and friends. Take the time to wrap your head around these best practices for safe internet use and secure your PC, tablets and phones for you and your family.
If you are among the over 60% of Americans who work on vacation – or if you own a small business and expect your team to work during the summer fun – you gotta review these cyber security measures to help protect your company’s network.
ZoneAlarm brings you these travel-inspired “to-dos” for the season, therefore you’ll be able to use the internet with greater confidence and peace of mind not only when planning but also while enjoying your well-deserved summer escape.
1. Lock down your login
Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, online banking and social media. Get ready for your summer trek by fortifying your online accounts and enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device.
2. Think before you app
Review an app’s privacy policy and understand what data (such as location and entry to your social networks) it can access on your device before you download. Delete apps you are no longer using.
3. Own your online presence
Not everyone has to know about your travel escapades and summer fun: set the privacy and security preferences on web services and devices to your comfort level for sharing. It is okay to limit how and with whom you share information – especially when you are away.
4. Actively manage location services
Location tools come in handy while planning your trip or navigating a new city, but they can also expose your whereabouts – even through photos. Turn off location services when they’re not in use.
5. Get savvy about Wi-Fi hotspots
Do not transmit personal info or make purchases on unsecure networks like those in local cafes and hotel lobbies. Read what we at ZoneAlarm wrote very recently for you about How to Ensure your Hotel’s Wi-Fi Is Safe While on Spring Break?.
6. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when idle
When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on, they connect and track your whereabouts. If you do not need them, switch them off.
7. Protect your $$$
Be sure to shop or bank only on secure sites. A web address with “https://” means the site takes extra security measures. However, an “https://” address is not secure.
8. Never use public computers to log in to any accounts
Be extremely cautious on public computers in public places like airports, hotel lobbies and internet cafes. Keep activities as generic and anonymous as possible.
9. Share with care
Think twice before posting pictures that would reveal you are not home or that you would not want certain people (like your parents or employer) to see. In addition, remember to post only about others as you would have them post about you. The golden rule applies online, too.
If you practice these travel-inspired to-dos, you will have a safer and more secure summer escape. In order to have the safest one: shield your credentials with ZoneAlarm Extreme Security, our most comprehensive multilayered security solution to protect your PC; or download ZoneAlarm Security Mobile to secure your mobile device from cyberattacks.
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) was a precious source for this article. Its mission is to educate and empower our global digital society to use the internet safely and securely.
