2021 Digital Security Checkup and Tips - January Edition

Update Your Passwords

The start of a new year is a great time to update your passwords. If you use a password manager, you can sort and see which passwords are the oldest and start with those. If you are not using a password manager, we strongly encourage you to download and start using one when you begin to update your passwords. You can read more about password best practices on our blog post.

App Privacy permissions

Apps are permission hungry. Oftentimes, people will just blindly accept any permission an app is requesting during the first time it is opened. Even if someone does read and question whether they should accept and allow the permission, many are fearful the app will not work if they don't allow it. It is important to remember that these settings can easily be turned off and on. Knowing that, it is best to allow no permissions and use the application. You will be prompted for additional permissions if you are trying to use a feature of an app that is being blocked by a privacy setting. Some of the most common privacy settings abused by apps are: location data, the camera, the microphone and bluetooth.

Here is a list of good resources where you can read more about how to improve the privacy settings on your device:

Apple/iPhone/iPad privacy settings

• 7 iPhone privacy settings you should enable now
• How to Check and Tighten All Your iPhone's Privacy Settings

Android privacy settings

• How to enhance privacy on your Android phone
• 11 Android settings that'll strengthen your security

Remove Unwanted and Unused Apps

Regardless of your platform, it is a good idea to periodically take inventory of the apps you have installed on your devices. Here are a couple resources that can help you find which apps you have not been using:

Apple/iPhone/iPad

• How to Identify and Remove Unnecessary Apps on Your iPhone and iPad

Android

• Top 3 Effective Ways to Remove Unused Android Apps

Enable two-factor authentication

You may have heard about two-factor authentication, but what is it and why is it important?

What is two-factor authentication?

Two-factor authentication provides an added layer of security for your devices, software, apps, services, etc. The first part of the two-factor authentication process is most commonly where you provide your password. The second factor is usually a random unique code that is sent to you. You will then provide it back to the resource you are trying to access. These codes are only valid for a short period of time.

Why is two-factor authentication important?

Two-factor authentication is important because it makes it harder for your devices, services, etc to be compromised. With data branches becoming almost a daily occurrence, it is vitally important to make sure your passwords are not the only barrier to accessing your accounts and services.

How do you use two-factor authentication?

Implementation can be done a couple different ways, but depends on how the company or services chooses to implement their two-factor authentication. The two most common ways to use two-factor authentication are text messaging and through apps. With text messaging, you will get a special code sent to your mobile device. There are many different types of services and apps for two-factor authentication. Some of the more popular ones are: Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo, Authy and LastPass.

Make sure your operating system, apps and other software are up-to-date

Those annoying alerts, popups and other reminders to update your device, apps and software are annoying for a reason; they are vitally important. The threats to your devices and digital life are always changing. Ensuring you have the most current version of your operating system, apps and other software will help protect you from criminals. Here are some tips to help you keep your devices up-to-date:

• Turn on automatic updates for all devices, apps and software.
• Choose to browse the web on current and modern versions of browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Brave.
• If an app or other software you use frequently does not update automatically, set reminders to check for updates manually. You can normally find the update option in the help file menu section on a regular basis, such as monthly.