3 Security Resolutions to Make and Keep in 2017
It is a new year, so it must be time for a few resolutions. While most resolutions made are about healthy eating or breaking bad habits, security resolutions are surprisingly easy to keep up with. Here are a few things that you could do at the beginning of the year that will pay off all of 2017.
Password Manager
In 2016, we saw some of the worst cyber breaches of all time. Billions of user information was stolen giving hackers access to credit card information, addresses and sometimes even social security numbers. Because of this, securing your accounts is one of the biggest things to do in 2017.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: make your password to any account hard to guess and change it frequently. While this is great in theory, it is hard to keep up with what password goes to what account and when you changed it last. So, instead of resetting your password every time you attempt to log in, sign up for a password manager.
A password manager is a software application or hardware that helps a user store and organize passwords. They usually store passwords encrypted, requiring the user to create a master password: a single, ideally very strong password which grants the user access to their entire password database. These platforms are wonderful at keeping everything straight, so you don’t have to.
If you don’t feel comfortable using a password manager, then most accounts have the ability to set up two-step authentication to get into your account. With this service, you will get a ping to your mobile deice asking if it is really you signing into your account. With a simple yes, and perhaps a code given by the account, you are in.
Home Surveillance
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to feel secure in your home. Take stock of what you worry about most when it comes to your home. Are you afraid of who might be at the door? Worried to leave your kids alone after school? Scared to leave the house unattended for longer than a work day? There is a low-budget security solution for all these problems.
To tackle the door, find a doorbell camera that works best for you. Many of them give you the ability to know when someone is at your door just by motion sensors. You can choose to engage with that person over a speaker from your phone, or just watch until they leave.
Other door security systems pair up to your mobile device to let you know who’s coming in and when. You can have a log of which key is used at what time, giving you piece of mind that your kids got off the bus safely.
If you’re worried to leave your house unattended for a long period of time, then invest in some smart bulbs that give the illusion that you are home. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need timed lights, those will tip off burglars if your whole house goes dark all at once. But get a system that recognized the doorbell, and lights up one room at a time to suggest that someone is in the house.
The Quadruple S
Perhaps the most important resolution you make this year is to make a pact with yourself: If you see something, say something.
2016 saw its fair share of campus security scares, mass shootings and terrorist attacks. In 2017, let’s keep our heads up and our eyes peeled for unusual activity. The police can’t see it all, which is why they’ve been pushing the “see something, say something” phrase for quite some time.
It doesn’t matter if what you see, if it feels strange or makes you uncomfortable call the police. Many times, crimes could have been prevented if someone just said something.