During Hallowe’en, some people love to give tricks… but no treats!
For many of us, Hallowe’en triggers an endless loop of zombie movies, ghost stories, and a great excuse to dress-up!
Hallowe’en is fun and whilst many of us like to play trick or treat around town, we have to remember some people (even someone who knows you) will want to trick you into an online attack or abuse. This could be hacking your mobile phone, or stealing your personal images or messages, or secretly filming you.
In the spirit of Hallowe’en, we hope that by sharing these stories (and tips on how to best handle similar situations) we will make it less scary in your eyes – or will we...?
They’re watching you: The live streaming privacy nightmare
Think the government or Facebook will keep you safe from snooping? There’s little they can do if someone is live streaming, and many of us live stream our activities whether it’s at the bar shooting tequilas or at a sports event. Recently, many people have been victim of their partner secretly filming them in intimate actions whilst streaming it live!
The fix: Be vocal. If your partner gets out their phone to film, ask (force) them to put it away. Also, be aware when you’re entering a new venue like their home or a hotel room. Some creeps will pre-position their device and discreetly activate the Live Stream feed. Don’t make it easy, there’s lots you can do to protect your privacy, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.
Rise of the machines: The IoT nightmare
The Internet of Things (IoT) in many ways can be convenient to our lives and everyday tasks through smart devices automating even the most mundane of tasks – like your fridge reminding you to get milk, or turning the heating on whilst you’re on your way home so it’s cosy when you walk in. However, without knowing it, your devices could give criminals to personal information, such as when you’re house is empty so they can plan a burglary.
The fix: Always make sure the firmware on your devices is up to date. In particular, monitor your wireless router, which is often the gateway device for connectivity. Before you use any IoT device for the first time, re-set the password to something unique. Default passwords for lots of items are easily accessible on the web.
Hallowe’en is fun and whilst many of us like to play trick or treat around town, we have to remember some people (even someone who knows you) will want to trick you into an online attack or abuse. This could be hacking your mobile phone, or stealing your personal images or messages, or secretly filming you.
They’re watching you: The live streaming privacy nightmare
Think the government or Facebook will keep you safe from snooping? There’s little they can do if someone is live streaming, and many of us live stream our activities whether it’s at the bar shooting tequilas or at a sports event. Recently, many people have been victim of their partner secretly filming them in intimate actions whilst streaming it live!
The fix: Be vocal. If your partner gets out their phone to film, ask (force) them to put it away. Also, be aware when you’re entering a new venue like their home or a hotel room. Some creeps will pre-position their device and discreetly activate the Live Stream feed. Don’t make it easy, there’s lots you can do to protect your privacy, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.
Rise of the machines: The IoT nightmare
The Internet of Things (IoT) in many ways can be convenient to our lives and everyday tasks through smart devices automating even the most mundane of tasks – like your fridge reminding you to get milk, or turning the heating on whilst you’re on your way home so it’s cosy when you walk in. However, without knowing it, your devices could give criminals to personal information, such as when you’re house is empty so they can plan a burglary.
The fix: Always make sure the firmware on your devices is up to date. In particular, monitor your wireless router, which is often the gateway device for connectivity. Before you use any IoT device for the first time, re-set the password to something unique. Default passwords for lots of items are easily accessible on the web.
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