Secure your Devices

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
We have already touched on Updates and Passwords. If you missed it, find the previous posts.
This week I want you to Secure Your Devices

Most obvious here is to ensure you lock your device with a passphrase, password, PIN or passcode. Stay away from patterns, dates/years, PINs which translate directly to guessable words or names etc. These are easily guessable and don’t offer any real security. Make sure your device is set to automatically lock after a short amount of inactivity and if you are walking away from your device, remember to lock it before you leave. I know this sounds a bit excessive when you are all working from home but those of you with Cats know more than the rest of us why this is important.

Check your devices are getting their updates and security patches. Set devices to prompt for a password or confirmation when installing apps rather than installing automatically. On my home computer I am set up as a Standard user and I have a separate Administrator account with a separate password. Whenever I install software, or there is a significant change to a piece of software, I am alerted and prompted for the Admin password. Sure, this is less convenient. But, it introduces a bit of a delay in which time your brain can catch up and say “hmmm maybe you shouldn’t be installing this.” I have had a family occurrence of this preventing installation of remote access software for someone claiming to be from a telco, so I consider having an overarching Administrator user a must every time I set up a new home computer.

It’s a good idea to turn off Bluetooth and WiFi when you are not using them. If you are on an Apple device, check your AirDrop settings. Only use it while you need it, then disable it again once you are done. Avoid joining public WiFi networks and tether to your mobile phone instead, it’s a trusted network you can take with you. Clean up your list of previously connected networks, it is best to remove any remembered settings for a network once you have finished with that connection. This prevents your device from automatically trying to reestablish a connection when it is not wanted or expected. Don’t charge your device at a public charging station and avoid chargers from third parties. There are devices out there which will record keystrokes or hold remotely executable payloads squeezed into the head of a USB cable, a USB-c cable that is (take a look at USBNinja or the O.MG Cable). While we are on the subject of plugging random cables etc. into your computer or device, be wary of USB sticks of dubious origins.

More reading:
https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/individuals-and-families/protect-your-devices

Cyber security tips this month are taken from https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/advice/personal-security-guides which is a really good read