Cyber Secure Holidays
This holiday season will certainly look different than in years past. While the changes will vary from person to person and family to family, the need for staying safe online is a constant. In fact, this season may bring even greater risks as more celebrating, socializing, and shopping moves into the zero-touch virtual world. Understanding the potential risks can go a long way toward avoiding them.
Video Conferencing
As the pandemic required remote communication options in 2020, it became important to find new ways to stay in contact. Many people have turned to video conferencing to maintain a connection with others and that trend continues during the holidays.
Unfortunately, the surge in popularity for these applications has also made them target-rich environments for malicious hackers and virtual party crashers. To keep your socially distant holiday festivities free from unwanted guests, keep these tips in mind:
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- Choose a safe, secure video conferencing tool. Wirecutter recommends Zoom, Google Meet, and Jitsi.
- Read and follow any security tips provided with the platform.
- Keep the meeting invite private. Remind invitees not to post the meeting link on social media.
- Protect all meetings with a password. Use the waiting room feature, if available, for an added layer of security.
- Disable screen sharing for all but the host. This will prevent unknown users from commandeering the screen.
- Remind all users to allow automatic app updates. This way security updates will be installed as they are available.
QR Codes
Whether you attend virtual gatherings or in-person events, chances are you will encounter QR, or Quick Response, codes. These are often found in restaurants, theaters, and bars offering the opportunity to pay quickly, sign up for discounts, view menus, or have upcoming events automatically loaded to a personal calendar.
While providing some contact-free convenience, the odd-looking little squares also offer the opportunity for scammers to infect a smart phone and use it to harvest personal and financial data, track the phone’s (and user’s) movements, and even authorize payments from a linked bank account or credit card.
It’s relatively easy for cyber criminals to embed malicious software into their QR code and then cover a legitimate QR code with the fake one. Since the codes are designed to be read by machines and the human eye can’t see the difference in safe codes and malicious ones, it’s best to practice basic QR-code hygiene to keep your holidays happy:
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- Pay attention. This is good security advice in general but in the case of QR codes, it’s two-fold. First, if you must scan a printed code in a public place, look closely to be sure the original (safe) code hasn’t had another (dangerous) code pasted on top of it. Second, if the code gives you a preview of the website it’s taking you to, look closely to be sure the site address matches what you were expecting.
- Beware of bit.ly. Bit.ly URLs are web addresses that have been shortened to look more appealing to the user or to fit available space. Web addresses that use bit.ly are not malicious themselves, but can be hacked. If the link that appears after a QR code scan has “bit.ly” in it, it’s best to double check its legitimacy. Simply add a “+” to the end and hit ‘enter’ to see a preview of the linked site. Be sure it’s one you trust before clicking through.
- Use a previewer app. Google Play and the Apple App Store both offer apps for pre-scanning QR codes and revealing the content behind them. Use one from a security company like Norton or Kaspersky to stay safe.
- Know the source. If the utility company regularly includes a QR code on its bill, chances are it’s legit. A postcard from a new shop you’ve never heard of may not be. The same goes for physical locations. If a restaurant has a QR code inside near the cash register, it’s likely safer than any code on a wall or railing in a public place.
There are many opportunities for fraudsters, hackers, and thieves to wreak havoc, especially during the holidays. But it’s also possible to have a safe, secure, peaceful holiday season by knowing the dangers and taking a few simple steps to cyber-secure your festivities this season.