Staying Safe in a Connected World
The recent stories in the news about Ring cameras being hacked — or accessed — are scary. We feel this is a great time for some reminders about security.
Take a minute to think about how many Internet-connected devices are in your home. According to research from Parks Associates, US broadband households now own more than 10 connected devices. It’s important to have a safe home network.
The wired and wireless home networks ACT provides clients are secure. This means Internet-connected devices in their home are behind a firewall and can’t be accessed from the outside.
In the case of Ring cameras being hacked, there are other possible ways it could happen, even with a secure home network. We advise clients (and everyone) to follow these safety “rules:”
- Don’t use unsecured public networks.
- Don’t use public networks for anything important.
- Never enter user names and passwords — or any personal information — on a public network.
- If your laptop or device offers security settings for public networks, turn them on/check the box.
- Enable two-factor authentication whenever it’s an option.
- For apps, devices, etc. shared by family members, don’t share login credentials when there’s an option for individual users.
- Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
- Educate yourself to recognize phishing attempts.
If you’d like to have a secure home network installed, or you’re experiencing performance issues with your network, give us a call at 781-741-5959 to discuss your needs. Consultations are always free of charge.
