Verizon at Home

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog written by Marcus Sachs, Verizon’s vice president of national security policy and a member of the board for the National Cyber Security Alliance.  One of my go-to folks when it comes to all things cyber safety and security, Marcus is also on Twitter-- @MarcusSachs. His bio reads: National security policy guy at Verizon, former director of the SANS Internet Storm Center, PhD student at GMU, Ramblin' Reck from GT, Alpha male.

For those who think the only surefire way to prevent cyber attacks is to totally unplug from the grid, you may want to hold off on ordering that rain barrel and building your adobe hut. We`repartnering with businesses and advocacy groups in support of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Throughout the month, we’ll bring you tips on lowering your risk (here in this blog but also via our Twitter handle like @Verizon and on our Facebook page). Whether you’re an online gamer, social media maven or straightforward web surfer, there are ways to help you stay safe online. 

 

First up are 6 Simple Rules of Thumb to Help Protect Your Information and Privacy Online, written by Tracy Hulver, Verizon`s director of product marketing for identity solutions. His advice includes:

1. Keep your computer protected with the basics. Just like flu shots protect against new strains every year, your anti-virus software should be current to protect against new threats.
2. Choose wisely whom you share information with while online. If you would do business with a company in person, then your online risk should be relatively low.
3. If given the choice, never allow an online business to store your financial information.
4. Don’t use the same user ID and password combos everywhere you go.
5. Start using second-factor authentication, such as a one-time password generator (or token).
6. Be careful of social engineering attacks, and  never give personal information out if you have any doubts.

Of course, Internet safety is more than just a one-month campaign for Verizon.  We spend every day of the year working to get the word out to our customers, business partners and the general public on the best ways to navigate safely in cyber space.

The National Cyber Security Alliance has chosen the theme, “Our Shared Responsibility,” emphasizing that everyone has a role in securing cyberspace, including the numerous devices, such as smart phones and tablets, and the networks they use.

From simply making sure you’re using an up-to-date security software package to spotting online threats before you become a victim, the more you do to protect yourself, the more enjoyable the Internet experience.  And the safer the nation’s critical cyber infrastructure remains.

We’ll also host guest bloggers with expertise in such areas as identify-theft prevention and online gaming. 

And, as always, we look forward to your feedback on what sounds good and what may have been a swing and a miss.

Frankly, we think you should be spending October enjoying MLB playoffs, Football on FiOS TV, Mother Nature’s colorful autumn landscapes and other seasonal delights, rather than dealing with cyber theft of your credit card information, an online virus crashing your computer or any of the other myriad of sophisticated online threats. 

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At home I run my second subnet through a K-12 Linux proxy filter. Verizon STB boxes hang off of the Actiontec before that.

For all others, make sure you have good anti virus and anti spyware protection, and keep those signature files up to date. There are so many people that become complacent because they think they are protected, only to find out they did not buy that subscription to the software that came on their new shiny PC. Be aware that some of those software companies pay the hardware manufactures to install the free trial software. Or they get permisssion to install the software, so the purchasing customer believes they are getting something extra in their purchase. There are actually some free software packages out there that can do a better job than those you may subscribe to and pay for.