Happy October! Last week, we shared one of our monthly smart home cybersecurity news roundups to kick off the month and today, we're continuing our cybersecurity discussions with some tips and tricks to #BeCyberSmart during October, aka National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
NCSAM 2019: OWN IT. SECURE IT. PROTECT IT.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) is an initiative held every October by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). The goal of the initiative is to provide tools and resources to educate Americans on the dangers of using the internet and to help keep them safe when online.
As the United States is ranked third in the top 20 countries with the most internet users and consumer interest in smart devices is ever-growing, ensuring citizens are practicing good cyber hygiene is a top priority.
We talk about the importance of practicing good cyber hygiene a lot at Minim, especially as it relates to using a wireless network and smart devices in the home. Any internet connected device is vulnerable to hacking and quite often, our personal connected devices and routers are the targets for hackers because of their lack of built-in security. The headlines speak for themselves...
- 100+ Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) found in a dozen small home and small office (SOHO) routers
- 8 major vulnerabilities found in the Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor smart home camera
- Digital threats are getting physical— Smart lock can be hacked open in seconds
- 4+ million website drive-by attack attempts detected on home routers
- Nest account hack makes headlines, again: Couple's smart home taken over
And while Minim is on a mission to provide comprehensive network security and WiFi management tools for the smart home (Learn why traditional security technologies aren't enough), there's some action you can take now.
The overarching message of Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. for NCSAM 2019 communicates the theme of personal accountability. What steps can you take to create a safer environment for using your connected devices, whether it be at the office or at home?
Follow these tips to #BeCyberSmart this October
- Adopt two-factor authentication for all accounts and never reuse credentials across accounts
- Maintain your devices' software/firmware updates
- Change the default login credentials on your router to something more secure and unique
- Disable your devices' remote support feature if not being used
- Use antivirus software if your device allows for it (many IoT devices don't)
- Never click on a link or email that looks suspicious or that you weren't expecting to receive
- Keep your social media accounts private or be aware of what information you are sharing
- Check app permissions on your phone and only download trusted apps
- Be cognizant when using any public or unprotected WiFi network: Don't perform sensitive activities (like banking) or try connecting to your own personal hotspot instead
VPN, firewall, and antivirus don't cut it in the smart home
