THE 360 NEWSLETTER

The holiday season means visiting relatives, a little ski trip for some, a trip down south for others – but don’t forget that cybercriminals are never on vacation! Here are some good habits to keep in mind during the festivities:

1. Don’t post that you are away on vacation on your social networks. A cybercriminal could take advantage of this to send you targeted phishing related to reservations, the location of your vacation, your activities, etc.  
2. Lock your cell phone at all times, especially when it is left unattended.
3. Always update your applications and systems on your cell phones and computers. This will close the door on cybercriminals, as breaches occur when applications are not updated.  
4. Avoid public computers and unsecured Wi-Fi. The connection there will be less secure and will leave an open door for cybercriminals.
5. Use a VPN if possible, even at your friends’ homes. It will ensure that your network is secure and that no one has access to your information.
6. Adjust your privacy settings on your social networks to control who can see your posts and be wary of login requests from strangers. 

The holiday season is full of opportunities for cybercriminals. They feed off the information you post on social networks. Your holiday date, your travel destination, your interests, your dog’s name: all this personal information helps cybercriminals guess your passwords, or even perform social engineering through phishing. 

Stay alert! Happy and safe holidays! 

Should you require additional information about this article, please contact the iA Information Security Awareness team, by email at ISawareness@ia.ca.