How to Keep Yourself and Your Family Safe

Here are some top tips for staying safe online through Back to School and beyond. 1. Use internet security software. If you haven't already, install internet security with antivirus on all your devices, especially those that will be used for schoolwork. Don't forget about using a VPN to protect kids' internet activity from prying eyes. 2. Update video conferencing software. Make sure children and teens are always using the most up-to-date versions of Zoom (or any other videoconferencing software) to ensure they have the latest patches to prevent malware distribution and disruptions. 3. Watch out for phishing in all its forms. Talk to kids about phishing. Make sure you all know to look before you click. And remember, phishing scams can look just like a text message from a best friend, classmate, or teacher, so always be wary of messages that ask you to click a link or download a file. Use a secondary means of communication, like a phone call, to verify that these are legitimate. 4. Use your bookmarks. Bookmark all required distance learning pages. Criminals may try to spoof these for phishing, especially if there is a popular portal that many schools use. Using a bookmark, instead of Googling and clicking a search result, will help ensure that your kids are on the right page. 5. Just say 'no' to macros. If you or your kids download a document and it asks you to enable macros or enable content, DO NOT DO IT. This is very likely to be a malicious file that will infect your computer. 6. Use a secure backup. When we're all so reliant on our computers and other internet-connected devices to work and study, it's extra important to make sure they're backed up. Nobody wants to lose a term paper or other important documents to a malware infection, hardware failure, damage, loss, or theft. Save yourself the hassle and heartache by investing in backup software. Thank you for reading and stay safe!

An excerpt from our newsletter - Network Operations Department