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Cyber Security Tips to Keep You Safe BY WILLIAM THOMPSON NJ REALTORS® DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
12 | NEW JERSEY REALTOR® | MAY/JUNE 2022
1
Keep Your Devices Up to Date
From every device you own to every app you install it seems like every day a new notification appears requesting to run another update. Updates used to mean great added features, but now everything looks identical to the way it did yesterday. While it may seem like nothing is happening, these incremental updates are extremely important. Every day devices and apps are trying to be infiltrated and every day developers are trying to thwart them; these defenses rely on you to keep your systems up to date. The dangers of these bugs vary, however, in its most dangerous form it can be exploited to allow complete control over your computer and all the data it holds. I recommend turning on automatic updates for any system that has the ability, such as your mobile phone and computer. Most will perform the updates while you sleep to ensure the least possible interruption. For any software or app, such as your web browser, that may not automatically update, I suggest manually checking for updates on a regular basis. Personally, I check every Friday with my morning coffee in hand, which turns the process into a habit and makes it much easier to remember.
2
Secure Your Accounts with Proper Passwords
I know the struggle, you have an account for everything and it’s difficult to remember the username and password combination to every one of them, never mind when each site adds in their special character or uppercase requirements, it’s impossible! The reality is your credentials are the only thing standing between a website or service and the rest of the world and the protection is only as strong as the password you choose. According to Statista, 70% of U.S. Internet users use the same password for multiple accounts, and for those users, one data breach could open the door to all accounts. As difficult as it may be, I must implore you to create a unique set of credentials for every service and website. I recommend creating a complex, but memorable, base password (e.g. #onE-r3alTor), then, for each service, append a name to your base password (e.g. #onE-r3alTor-Netflix). While this practice will allow for sufficiently difficult and unique passwords for every account, I also recommend employing the use of a password manager. Password managers, such as LastPass, 1Password, or bitwarden, allow you to generate and store impossibly complex passwords for each of your accounts without the need to remember them. You’re responsible for remembering your vault password, however once unlocked you’ll be able to copy-and-paste the credentials for the sites you need to access. Most password managers have apps and plugins that allow you easily autofill your password and are readily available on your phone, computer, and directly in your browser.
