New Year’s Resolutions to Keep Your Family Safe Online

  1. Think before you click. Families are incredibly busy, but try to slow things down when checking email or searching the web. Many people accidently download viruses or malware by clicking a seemingly-legitimate, malicious link. Remember that legitimate entities won’t ask for personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers, through email. If an email or webpage looks suspicious, delete it or navigate away.
  2. Connect carefully to Wi-Fi hotspots. With families constantly on the go, parents and children may log onto public Wi-Fi to check email or connect with friends on social media. This is incredibly convenient but not without risk. Some cybercriminals set up legitimate-looking Wi-Fi networks in order to steal sensitive information. To avoid falling into this trap, confirm the Wi-Fi network name with an employee before connecting to the internet.
  3. Shed unwanted programs and apps. Mobile privacy risks are hidden in plain sight – in apps. Shockingly, almost one-third of apps (roughly 4.3 million) scanned by Norton Mobile Insight leak SIM card information such as address book details, mobile PIN numbers and call history. Cut down on the risk of leaking personal information by removing unwanted apps from your devices.
  4. Make a plan. Most families have emergency plans for natural disasters or house fires. Don’t forget to create recovery plans for your family’s data. This plan will also help protect against data loss resulting from ransomeware attacks, which lock users out of their device until a ransom is paid. According to Symantec’s 2014 Internet Security Threat Report, ransomware attacks grew by 500 percent in 2013. Setting up a regular back-up schedule for photos and documents will ensure your family won’t be caught off-guard.

Be ready for different kinds of security threats. Antivirus-only security is no longer enough to combat today’s sophisticated security threats. Protect your family’s devices with a robust, multi-platform solution, like Norton Security. The offering also comes with option backup in a product called Norton Security with Backup.