Garmin and Staying Safe Online Thursday 23rd July 2020 was just like any other day this year. My new Covid 19 normal day consisted of working from home, doing an exercise class, and going out for a run. But like many of you, I was potentially stuck with one problem. Garmin was down, and not working. I had a dilemma; if I went for a run and it didn’t sync to Strava via Garmin. How would anyone know?
Does your mobile phone/laptop/tablet/device/ notebook/watch have the latest software updated on it? 1. Companies such as Apple, Samsung and Microsoft tend to release software/firmware updates proactively, whereas Garmin only tend to update the latest software when enough people complain about it (In my opinion). 2. Make sure your device is set to ‘automatically update’. If a company finds a security issue, they tend to release an update as soon as possible; this means your device will automatically download the software/firmware and update it.
I rebooted any device that was connected to these applications in the hope that it would ‘sync’. Alas nothing worked, there was nothing else to do but take to the social media platforms and complain that the thing, now attached to my wrist, was nothing more than a watch. I turned to my running family, who were all getting the same problem. It wasn’t me, it was an issue with Garmin. Garmin Connect updated with the words “Sorry, we’re down for maintenance. Check back shortly”. I work in Cyber Security, and it suddenly dawned on me that this is the standard response most organisations display when they have an issue. Although Garmin have resolved the issue, it got me thinking. This was a ‘Threat Actor’, who had taken advantage of Garmin, and we as users of electronic devices are just as vulnerable. So, I‘ve come up with some tips on how you can look after yourself online.
GROUP APPS
Garmin Connect Just to let everyone know; if you use a Garmin watch there’s a Shropshire Shufflers Group on Garmin Connect – which you can search for via the Groups tab on the main menu.
