Preventing burglary is something we seemed forced to consider these days. We’ve come a ways from leaving our homes unlocked when we run errands much less leaving town for a trip.
Burglaries are down according to the FBI, but now we have to deal with porch pirates, people who steal our Amazon shipments. A strong door lock helps to protect your home while a video doorbell camera keeps watch on visitor who calls or your deliveries. Some can be set to give you a notice if someone approaches the door and start recording. Features can include talking to visitor via the video doorbell. Other devices you might consider are intrusion detectors, smoke and CO alarms, water/flooding detectors and heat detectors. Such devices can be costly, but you may also see a reduction in your home insurance costs.
Locks vary in features and costs. Some allow for opening with your phone, a keypad number and/or a key. It pays to do your research to find one that fits your needs. Some also permit you to set temporary or visitor codes for service tech or home workers. Many record day and time of entry/leaving and send notifications to your smartphone.
Details on door locks can be found at CR.org/doorlocks
Video doorbells vary in features and costs also. Consider the quality of the video, data security/privacy, connectivity, night vision, battery power or hard wired. Use the link above and change from doorlocks to videodoorbells.
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Just when you were thinking about being careful with downloads on your devices, now we need to watch out for uploading which might connect you with malware. Modern browsers can modify files while you stream videos or music while you read your emails. Hackers have found ways to trick you into opening files with malware. Imagine using a free on-line website to edit your pictures. Here is a risk that a malicious editing tool gains access to your computer and encrypt files for ransom. In 2023, organizations paid $1.1 billion in ransomware payments. It pays to know where you are going on the internet.
Cyber crime is a growing problem and scientists are working to create different approaches to mitigate damage from ransomware. Until fixes are released, it’s best to be sure you trust the site you are uploading files to. As always, have backups of your precious data.
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We know to beware of responding to unknown text messages. When we are traveling and get one about an electronic toll payment, we may click on it inadvertently. This scan of “smishing” seems to moving from state to state according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by trying to impersonate your state’s toll service. Many people today us EZ-pass and other devices to pay tolls while driving and avoid toll booths. SMS (text) scams might show up with a message like this “We’ve noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit https://myturnpiketollservices.com to settle your balance.” We have to stop and think before clicking and responding to such bait.
Here are some helpful suggestions.
Stick to the golden rules for SMS cyber safety:
- Never open an SMS from a brand or sender you don’t use—just delete it
- Never click a link in an SMS unless you are expecting that very specifically—even then my advice would be to avoid all links
- If the message is from your bank or Amazon or Apple or another brand you use, then login the usual way and do not opt for the quick link provided
- Don’t leave suspect SMS messages in your inbox—delete them and then block the numbers to avoid any further messages
- Filter unknown senders if you can, to separate them from known traffic; and when you get OTPs or updates from your accounts, save the number
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Our smartphones are with us nearly all the time and location data is collected unless we take steps to stop it. Some tracking information you may share with family or friends to let them know where you are. Insurance companies use some data to adjust premiums based on acceleration or braking efforts.
Advertisers use your location to send targeted ads.
Who benefits from all this? The answer is not clear cut. Advertisers use the information to benefit themselves and other players in the ecosystem.
Some location data collection can be useful to help solve crimes or locate missing persons.
Banking apps may use your location to reduce fraudulent transactions. Home security systems use a “geofence” to create boundaries like “home” or “away from home”. Airport cameras with facial recognition raise security concerns about data that could be used against you. Cookies and credit card purchases all contribute to your digital diary. Data can be compiled and sold to unscrupulous data brokers. Do you wonder if that ad that follows you is creepy or helpful? This goes on and on.
Some states, like Massachusetts, are looking at restricting location data to protect your privacy and control of your life.
Users need to review settings on their digital devices to customize what is shared. Find this in Settings>Location or something similar depending on your device. You might want to share some data but not all so that you can maintain some privacy. Consider using a VPN connection when away from home to protect your connection from hackers.
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Data breaches such as recent announcements by AT&T, Change Healthcare (a subsidiary or United Healthcare), Roku, Bank of America, Trello and others have had intrusion into their databases with the names and personal data and financial data stolen. Millions of records have been compromised. This puts you at risk for identity theft, financial theft or other compromises. Be aware of such problems by paying attention to notices given by companies you use. Change passwords immediately. You can put freezes on your accounts at the major credit reporting agencies in an attempt to stop others from opening accounts in your name. See https://tech.co/news/data-breaches-updated-list
Here is a useful website to see if your email has been part of a data breach. https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Be careful out there.