Stay safe this summer on the internet and devices

June is National Internet Safety Month, which is the perfect opportunity to underscore our personal responsibility as technology users in keeping our devices and the internet safe.

Just as we teach our kids to look both ways before they cross the street, let’s teach them cybersafety starting with not sharing personal information like addresses and phone numbers online and connecting only to people they know. If all of our kids start here, they will be ahead of the game.

Talk to your family about the importance of protecting your home network and their role in keeping it secure. The base line is securing your Wi-Fi connection with a strong password and diligently applying updates and patches to your equipment and software. While patches can be annoying as they take time to apply, they are an essential part of preventive maintenance to keep your devices safe from most malware and other threats. And when updates are available, don’t hit “Remind Me Later,” but apply them right away. A Verizon data breach investigations report showed that 70 percent of cyberattacks exploited known vulnerabilities for which patches were available.

Safety applies not only to the connected devices we use, but also to all of the equipment that keeps them connected such as your router and modem. A router creates a network between the computers in your home; the modem connects that network to the internet. Both can be targets.

A recent example: On May 25 the FBI issued a public service announcement warning that foreign cyber actors were targeting routers and networked devices worldwide with VPNFilter malware. In addition to rendering the devices inoperable, this malware could enable them to collect information, exploit other devices and block network traffic. The FBI recommended power cycling or rebooting the devices. To view the PSA, visit bit.ly/2L1Ep6l.

The Department of Homeland Security advocates that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and it truly is. No single entity can realistically manage this. If you use technology, you play a role in keeping the internet safe. It starts with being cyber-aware and teaching our kids cybersafety. For more information and tips, visit staysafeonline.org.

Matt Freeman is director of managed services at Hawaiian Telcom. Reach him at Matthew.freeman@hawaiiantel.com.