Five tips for minimizing cyber threats during the vacation season

A study by Keeper confirms that many users of computers, tablets or mobile devices have not yet established sufficient protection for their passwords to ensure digital access to sensitive private and business applications and data. Worldwide, 64 percent of respondents use either weak passwords or variations of passwords to protect their online accounts. At the same time, 80 percent of data breaches are due to compromised login credentials. Keeper provides helpful tips for maintaining digital security while traveling and in unprotected environments - because the upcoming Easter, Whitsun and summer vacations are also peak season for cyber criminals.

Wanderlust instead of cyber frustration

Laut einer aktuellen Untersuchung der Stiftung für Zukunftsfragen nimmt die Reiselust weiter zu: Mehr als sechs von zehn befragten planen bereits ihren nächsten Urlaub und die Reisefrequenz hat inzwischen das Vor-Corona-Niveau von 61 Prozent erreicht und liegt sogar drei Prozentpunkte über dem Vorjahresniveau. Egal, aus welchem Grund man reist – in jedem Fall kommt der Sicherheit von Online-Konten, persönlichen sowie Finanzdaten eine grosse Bedeutung zu. Scheinbar harmlose Gewohnheiten wie schlechte Passwörter, das Speichern von Passwörtern in unsicheren Dokumenten oder Tools oder etwa das Veröffentlichen eines Reiseziels in sozialen Medien können dazu führen, dass sensible Informationen oder wichtige Kontendaten von versierten Cyberkriminellen attackiert werden.

These five cyber security tips will help protect you from cyber attacks:

1. Device safety comes first

All electronic devices must be equipped with the latest security updates and patches. Pay attention to important notifications and install updates as soon as possible. The easiest way to do this is to activate the automatic update function. Software updates not only improve existing functions, fix bugs and improve performance, but also close security gaps and add new security measures - which is why they are an important part of a security strategy.

2. Best possible protection for online accounts

You should set unique passwords that are at least 16 characters long, do not contain common words, patterns or consecutive numbers, but consist of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. The security of an account can also be significantly improved by using two-factor authentication (2FA). This additional layer of protection ensures that unauthorized access is prevented even if the password is compromised. A password manager makes things easier at this point. It can create, save and automatically fill in secure passwords.

3. VPN first – öffentliche Ladestationen und Wi-Fi meiden

You should avoid public USB charging stations to prevent juicejacking attacks. This is because cyber criminals can load malware onto these charging stations and use it to access other people's devices. In addition, the automatic connection of WLAN and Bluetooth connections should be switched off and public WLAN networks should be avoided because they are usually unsecured and vulnerable to attacks. Instead, use your phone's hotspot function and use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt the connection and protect yourself from cyber threats when accessing accounts from different locations.

4. Mindful use of social media

You should be careful when using social media and not post travel plans and vacation information. Disclosing your location in real time makes you a target for cyberattacks and physical crime. Not only are you revealing your location and personal details, you are also alerting thieves to the fact that you are not at home. It's best to only share this information with trusted contacts and only post travel details when you return home.

5. For emergencies: Set up access to important documents

The risk of important financial, ID and other documents being lost or stolen is particularly high when traveling. Travelers should therefore make backup copies of important cards and documents and upload them to a secure password manager. Alternatively, an encrypted service such as One Time Share can be used to securely pass on important information to a family member or a trusted person so that they can access it in an emergency.

„Da die Cyberkriminalität immer und überall präsent ist, ist die Umsetzung robuster Cybersicherheitspraktiken auf Reisen unerlässlich“, sagt Darren Guccione, CEO und Mitbegründer von Keeper. „Daher halten wir es für wichtig, den Menschen Tools an die Hand zu geben, die ihre digitale Widerstandsfähigkeit erhöhen. Mit einem sicheren Passwort-Manager können sich Reisende auf ein unbeschwertes und sicheres Reiseerlebnis freuen.“

Source: www.keepersecurity.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/fuenf-tipps-zur-minimierung-von-cyberbedrohungen-waehrend-der-urlaubszeit/