Eastern Communications, one of the premier telecommunications companies in the country, recognizes the challenge of cyber threats as people are online more than ever. Its trusted partner, Trend Micro showed in its 2020 Annual Cybersecurity Report that a total of 16 million COVID-19 related cyber threats occurred in the past year, ranging from basic to the most sophisticated attacks.
Cyber threats are undeniably on the rise as we navigate the new normal mainly through the Internet. With individuals opting for cashless transactions, staying home to work, or attending classes online, being on guard is key to maintaining our home cybersecurity.
“Work from home employees are no longer protected by their office network and children who do online learning and games are more exposed to predators. Digital transformation is a double-edged sword and people need to learn how to keep themselves cyber-safe to fully harness its benefits. One way to achieve this is to start at home,” shared Edsel Paglinawan, Eastern Communications product and innovation head.
To make sure your Internet security is impenetrable, Eastern Communications shares four home cybersecurity tips to keep your family safe online.
1. Utilize privacy and security settings
One of the basic ways to prevent cyberattacks is to always keep your privacy settings on. You can do it in your web browsers, social media apps, and even smartphones so it would block or notify you of malicious sites and downloads. It is also important to enable multi-factor authentication and One Time Password (OTP), which are secure ways to protect your family members’ online accounts from virtual thieves. Take note that OTP and even your personal contact details should not be shared with anyone.
2. Shop from legitimate online stores
E-commerce has boomed since the pandemic, and with the convenience of online shopping, more consumers have become complacent when it comes to online security. Eastern suggests teaching family members to purchase only through secure online shopping apps or websites that are running on https:// with a padlock next to it in the address bar. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the transaction and your personal information are not being safeguarded.
Another home cybersecurity tip is to regularly monitor your bank transactions to see if there are any suspicious charges or spending that you are not aware of so you can immediately report to your bank.
3. Educate yourself and the family members
The same report by Trend Micro reveals that 88% of cyberthreat incidents are spam-related which also include phishing. It helps to stay vigilant before opening emails or clicking suspicious links that trick the users to enter their username and password leading to data and money theft.
Kids and grandparents are also the most vulnerable members due to their lack of knowledge when it comes to the dangers of the Internet. Monitoring their online activities and teaching them not to share sensitive information such as your complete address, credit card details, passwords, ID numbers, and more will lessen the chances of cybercriminals attacking your family and breaching your home cybersecurity.
4. Keep your home WiFi secure
Your WiFi network at home allows every family member to get access to the Internet and once its security becomes compromised, intruders might use your bandwidth or even infect your devices with malware. As is commonly advised, Eastern reminds everyone to use strong WiFi passwords with at least 8 characters, a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers and special characters. That way, cyber attackers will have a harder time infiltrating your network.
Enabling wireless encryption also helps restrict illegal access. To do this, just open your wireless security settings and choose WPA2 as your security method. That way, your family can enjoy and utilize your home Internet to the fullest without the worries of cyberthreats.
Eastern Communications’ Eastern Home is a secure network and reliable home Internet service that makes doing many things online possible. It offers several plans with unlimited data and no data throttling for as low as PHP 998. To top it all off, Eastern Home offers 24/7 customer support for all connection concerns.
While staying home and doing things online keeps everyone from contracting the virus, Internet security should be prioritized as well to keep every family member safe from malicious attacks in these uncertain times.
To learn more about Eastern Home, visit eastern.com.ph/eastern-home or contact 5300-1000.