Earlier this month, we covered a few vulnerable areas of cybersecurity you need to be aware of: strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and smishing. If scammers get a hold of your passwords or reel you in with their texting scams, they can wreak havoc on your bank account, your credit cards, or even your identity. Along with these well-known areas of cybersecurity, there’s even more you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones—regularly update your software.
Update Your Software
Look, we experience the same annoyed feeling that kicking off software updates evokes. No one wants to sit idle and wait while their phone, tablet, or laptop installs the latest operating system (cue the impatient finger-tapping). However, keeping your devices up to date is a vital step to combat cybersecurity threats. Software developers and engineers locate and repair vulnerabilities that hackers exploit on your unfortified devices.pas
Watch for any notifications or alerts that new updates are available and install them quickly. If you don’t like the downtime required, set your device to complete a major update at a time you rarely use it, such as when you go to bed, when you’re entertaining, or when you’re at the doctor’s office. The longer you procrastinate, the higher likelihood you leave yourself vulnerable to a cyber-related incident. By putting off updates, you’re only hurting yourself in the long run as it will take longer to update your device when you finally decide to do so.
Avoid adding to your tasks list by simply turning on automatic updates so that when a new update is available, your device updates itself. You can track the listing of the latest security updates for Apple or the security bulletins for Android.
Bites and Bytes At Home
Cyber risks exist for every member of the family, from your pooch’s locating collar to Grand Pop’s five-year-old iPhone, and even your “I can’t live without it” smartwatch device. Over some food bites, talk about tech bytes. Discuss the current risks and how each family member can protect their devices, accounts, and personal information. This is a great opportunity for adults to learn from their tech-savvy kids and teens—and vice versa. This is the moment everyone is encouraged to bring their devices to the table! Equip each family member with the confidence and cyber safety skills to better protect themselves.
In the Workplace
Your personal cyber habits accompany you into the workforce. For IT and business decision-leaders, an increasing part of the daily reality is securing highly lucrative, valuable, or proprietary information. Companies conducting mock phishing simulations with employees and vendors are becoming more commonplace. In conversations with tech leaders, workers should expect to experience increased security requirements.
At Organized Instincts, our team of daily money managers will help you curate a more secure, slow-down-for-moment environment that increases your productivity and digital security. Schedule a no-obligation conversation today and learn how our tips help make your tech a breeze.
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