The new year has arrived, bringing along the traditional resolutions. Doing more sports, learning a new language, visiting new countries - but have you thought about your cybersecurity resolutions? Such as better protecting yourself, learning to recognize cyber threats?
We've pondered few ideas for you:
Beware of e-mails, phone calls and text messages.
Cybercriminals have long used tactics like emails, phone calls, or text messages to impersonate people you know, whether from your bank, colleagues, or acquaintances. However, technological advancements like artificial intelligence enable hackers to be even more convincing by perfectly mimicking someone's voice, creating emails and SMS that seem more authentic than ever. Hence, it's crucial to remain constantly vigilant!
When you receive alarming messages requesting urgent money or sensitive information like credentials, passwords, or banking data, ask yourself, "Is this really from the person I know?" or "Do I recognize this phone number or email address?" When in doubt, it's advisable to directly contact the person or institution using a number or email address you already know.
Take care when using your devices in public areas
Public spaces are full of opportunities for cybercriminals.
Public Wi-Fi
Firstly, it's advisable to avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. If you must, refrain from accessing your bank accounts or entering sensitive information like your credentials and passwords.
Secondly, when connecting to a Wi-Fi network, especially in a café, ensure it's indeed the establishment's network by confirming with a staff member. A cybercriminal might have set up a fraudulent access point near the café, using the same name, aiming to steal your information and compromise your device.
Lastly, it's recommended to disable automatic connection features on your devices to have full control over the connections established by your device.
Charging station
It's recommended to avoid charging your devices on public charging stations, as these could be installed by hackers. Moreover, some cables or ports on these stations might have been compromised, posing a risk to your device's security.
QR Codes
Do you enjoy using QR codes to access information or make quick payments with your phone? It's important to note that cybercriminals resort to methods like replacing QR codes in public places. They might either place a new label over the existing one or entirely substitute the poster containing the code. Once again, vigilance is key to avoiding falling into this trap.
Protect your social networks.
Social networks are a mine of information for cybercriminals. They can find photos, your date of birth, details of your family and friends, as well as your personal preferences. From this data, they can even determine where you live, and when you're not at home. So it's essential to keep your accounts rigorously secure by making your privacy settings strict, limiting access to your circle of acquaintances, and avoiding sharing too much personal information.
Here are some interesting resources to help you find out more:
A fake psychic finds out everything about people thanks to a team that scours social networks:
(french video)
A few tips to protect your social networks:
Make updates
Updates to your devices don't just add new features; they often correct detected vulnerabilities that may already have been exploited by hackers. That's why it's essential to keep not only the systems on your devices up to date, but also the applications you use on them.
Making backups
Make regular backups of your devices. This will enable you to recover your data in the event of theft by hackers, but also in the event of loss or theft of your devices. You'll be grateful to yourself for adopting this practice, should such a situation arise.
Keeping abreast of new cyberthreats
Protecting yourself and staying informed about new cyber-attacks and software vulnerabilities is essential for enhanced security. With our Lümee app, we strive to keep you informed in a simple, fun and accessible way, to enhance your protection. We also share a wealth of information on our social networks and our blog, so you can deepen your knowledge in this field.
Stay tuned and share what you learn, so that together we can create a safer cyberspace.
