Privacy Awareness Week 2020 (PAW2020) comes at a challenging time as organisations around the globe face unprecedented challenges such as strengthening security and the ability to work entirely remotely. PAW2020 provides us with a confident and concise toolkit listing focal points in achieving resilience.
This year, Privacy Awareness Week will run from 4th – 10th May 2020, and celebrates the theme, “Reboot your privacy”. This year’s theme focuses on an evolving smart device landscape, the forgotten accounts of the past, and the new threats brought forward by the next generation of attackers.
Don’t let the COVID-19 pandemic fool you into thinking that isolation has limited interactions and reduced cyber threats as a result. Smart Device usage is at an all time high and our vulnerability has never been more of a concern. Pandemic-related attacks have risen from 4% to 30% in a matter of months and we need to act now to fight the rush. Do you have the right tools in your defence line to regain control over your privacy?
Here is our list of 7 things you can do during PAW 2020 to help improve your privacy posture and enhance your resilience against attacks:
- Reassess your Privacy Settings on all apps and devices (work or home related). Don’t forget that Privacy Policies of apps or devices may change over time.
- Review your password security. Consider the age of passwords and their complexity. As a general rule of thumb, passwords should change every six months and include alphanumerics, capitalisation and special characters.
- Always think twice before sharing anything online or on social media platforms. Remove locations or check-ins from images and always check an image for sensitive information before posting.
- Consider the need to have Location Services of GPS Data enabled in apps or on devices in general. Limiting GPS usage to map apps or navigation not only ensures greater privacy, it also improves battery life tremendously.
- Check the settings of Smart devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as Google Home or Ring Doorbells as they may collect personal information that isn’t necessary in order for them to function. Further, the recent security breach concerns with devices such as Ring Doorbells demands a review of the necessity to use them.
- Remember that just because an app or service is no longer popular, does not mean your account is no longer active. Conduct a sweep of redundant user accounts or accounts that are rarely used. As Privacy Policies could change over time, your information may be used in ways you do not agree with. An account with a stagnant, potentially weak password is also an easy target.
- Conduct Cyber Security Awareness training to highlight the increase in phishing and COVID-related attacks on organisations. Phishing attacks do not require any form of technical skill and allow an attacker equal if not greater access to sensitive information than an experienced hacker.
InConsult encourages all organisations to get involved in Privacy Awareness Week 2020. Contact us if you would like help in planning or conducting events related to PAW 2020.
Find out more about PAW 2020 at the Privacy Awareness Week 2020’s website.
Remember that whatever you do, privacy and security are paramount in protecting not only your organisation but your staff. Ensure staff are aware of the ever evolving threat! Check out InConsult’s Cyber Risk Management capabilities to find out how we can help you develop Cyber Security Awareness training programs and build a more resilient organisation.