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Lost or Stolen Device? Here’s What to do Next

Reading Time: ~ 4 min.

It’s a nightmare, it’s inconvenient, and it’s inevitable. Losing or having your smart device stolen poses a significant, looming privacy risk— we just don’t like to think about it. However, this is an instance where hiding your head in the sand will only make you more susceptible to attack.

The personal data living on your family’s network of devices is valuable and often-times all too vulnerable. Having a worst-case-scenario plan in case of device loss or theft could save you time, money, and heartache.

So, we’ve put together a list of best practices in case the worst does happen, you’ll be prepared to prevent an identity theft disaster.

General Best Practices

Preparing yourself and your devices before they are stolen is the fastest way to avert potential breaches. Consider:

  • Keeping a “Find My” app turned on for all devices. This is the best way to locate and remote wipe devices.
  • Making sure your devices are secured behind individualized pin codes, fingerprints, or Face ID. This will slow down thieves trying to access your device.
  • Use strong, individualized passwords on all accounts, including email and banking apps. Don’t have the time? Use a trusted password manager to automate password creation. This will help limit the scope of any breach.
  • When a device is stolen, act quickly. The faster you respond, the more effective the following steps are likely to be. If the thief turns the device off, or removes the battery, you’ll be unable to remotely wipe the device.

Learn how to get automatic protection over any network, even unsecured WiFi.

Android Devices

Here is what Android users should do in case of device theft.

  • First, locate your device. Go to android.com/find and sign into your Google Account.
  • If you have more than one device, choose the one you’re looking for from the list at the top of the screen. The lost/stolen device will receive a notification, so you should act quickly.
  • On the map on your screen, you’ll be shown information about the phone’s location. Remember this is approximate and might not be neither precise nor accurate. If your phone can’t be found, you’ll see its last known location (if available).
  • Now, if you’re certain your device has been stolen, you can click “Enable lock & erase” to erase your device. But be careful. After you erase your device, Find My Device will no longer work, so make sure you are certain.
  • If you believe your phone is just lost, and not stolen, you have a few options. “Lock” will lock your phone with your PIN, pattern, or password. If you don’t have a lock in place, you can set one. To help someone return your phone to you, you can also add a message or phone number to the lock screen.

An important note: If you happen to find your phone after you have erased it, you’ll likely need your Google Account password to use it again.

iOS Devices

Here is what iOS users should do in case of device theft.

  • Next, you’ll need to locate your device. Select the one you’re searching for to view its location on a map.
  • You’ll be presented with a few options here. “Mark As Lost” will remotely lock your device, allow you to display a custom message with your contact information on the missing device’s lock screen, and track the device’s location. If you have added Apple Pay payment options, the ability to make payments using Apple Pay on that device will be suspended for as long as the device is in Lost Mode.
  • If you’re certain your device has been stolen, select “Erase your device.” When you erase your device remotely, all of your information is deleted, and you will no longer be able to locate it with the Find My app or Find iPhone on iCloud.com. Make sure your phone is not recoverable before taking this step.

Device Theft Wrap-Up

After you have protected your most sensitive information with the steps above, take just a few more steps to fully wrap the crisis up.

  • Report your lost or stolen device to local law enforcement. Law enforcement might request the serial number of your device. This can often be found on the original packaging.
  • Report your stolen device to your wireless carrier. They will disable your account to prevent calls, texts, and data use by the thief. If you have insurance through your carrier, this is the time to begin filing a claim as well.
  • Reset all of your passwords, including your Google Account and Apple ID. After a device is stolen, you can never be certain of how far the breach has penetrated. The good news is, if you are using a secure password manager, this should be pretty quick!
  • Any accounts that had 2FA access, when you first set up the account would have had you save the private key or one time code. This key will allow you back into your accounts without needing the device and will allow you to remove the account from the device.
  • Alert your banking providers to the potential breach and monitor your bank accounts and credit cards for suspicious activity. If you see any, get ahead of the issue and cancel and replace all of your bank cards. This will prevent the financial breach from affecting multiple accounts.

A stolen device is a headache, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster. If you have a plan in place for a worst-case scenario, you’ll be able to act quickly and confidently. Do you have device theft tips that we missed here? Let us know on the Webroot Community.

The post Lost or Stolen Device? Here’s What to do Next appeared first on Webroot Blog.

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5 Tips for Optimizing Your VPN Experience

Reading Time: ~3 min.

By now, you likely know that a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is essential to remaining safe when working remotely. But, once set up, how can you optimize your VPN to work well with your devices and meet your security needs? Here are our top five tips for maximizing your VPN experience.

Pair it with an Antivirus

One of the biggest misconceptions about VPNs is that they protect your device from malicious programs. While a VPN will encrypt your network traffic, preventing others from viewing intercepted data, most do not warn you when you visit dangerous sites. If your VPN provides advanced web filtering for risky sites, that can be an additional defense against cyber threats such as malware and phishing.  Alternatively, while strong antivirus software actively monitors for viruses and malware within files and applications, it does not encrypt your data or prevent it from being monitored. Both are equally important for protecting your devices, and are ideally used together. Combining the two services provides additional security.

Enable a Kill Switch

Setting up a VPN to keep your data safe is an important first step, but what happens if your VPN server goes down or disconnects while you are entering sensitive data and you don’t notice the connection was lost? Without the protection of a VPN kill switch, your devices will often automatically reconnect to the network without alerting you, this time without the protection of your VPN. A kill switch feature blocks sending and receiving data until the VPN connection is re-established.. For maximum protection, select a VPN with a kill switch feature and ensure it has been enabled.

Understand the Impact of Setting Up a VPN on Your Router

Having a VPN on your home router may seem like a helpful boost to your cybersecurity, but it’s actually the opposite. Most routers lack the processing power of a modern CPU, meaning that even older personal devices (phones, tablets, computers) will have a much easier time handling the task of encrypting/decrypting data than your router will. Instead, set up a VPN for each personal device to prevent a bottleneck of data to your router while simultaneously securing it at all access points. Selecting an easy-to-use VPN solution with cross-device functionality will make this task much easier on the end user, while providing maximum security.

Protect All of Your Smart Devices

When it comes to cybersecurity, we tend to imagine a nefarious hacker out to steal and sell your data. But not all data collection is illegal. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has a vested interest in tracking your streaming habits, and they may even throttle your network depending on your usage. Our phones, computers, and tablets are each a potential interception point for our private data. Securing each of your smart devices with a VPN, even those that stay in your home, is the best way to prevent your data from potentially being monitored by third parties. 

Encrypt Your LTE Connection

While your cellular network is more secure than public WiFi options, it remains vulnerable to an attack. LTE user data can be exploited by what is known as an “aLTEr attack”. This attack redirects domain name system (DNS) requests, performing a DNS spoofing attack that can fool your device into using a malicious DNS server. This spoofed DNS server will deliver you to websites as normal until you request a high-value website the attack is targeting, like your banking or email provider. Oftentimes this fake website will scrape your data before you realize what has happened. You give yourself an extra layer of security by wrapping your LTE connection in a VPN, allowing you to access your most sensitive data confidently.

When it comes to getting the most out of your VPN, this list is just the beginning. Our privacy concerns and security needs will continue to change as our connected devices mature and we recommend keeping an eye on your VPN provider for any potential updates to their services.

Ready to take back control of your privacy? Learn how our Webroot WiFi Security VPN protects what matters most wherever you connect.

The post 5 Tips for Optimizing Your VPN Experience appeared first on Webroot Blog.

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Webroot WiFi Security: Expanding Our Commitment to Security & Privacy

Reading Time: ~3 min.

For the past 20 years, Webroot’s technology has been driven by our dedication to protecting users from malware, viruses, and other online threats. The release of Webroot® WiFi Security—a new virtual private network (VPN) app for phones, computers, and tablets—is the next step in fulfilling our commitment to protect everyone’s right to be secure in a connected world.

“Launching Webroot WiFi Security is a valuable and exciting progression in our mission,” said Webroot Director of Consumer Product Andy Mallinger. “Antivirus solutions protect your devices from malware and other cyber threats, and a VPN protects your data as it’s sent and received over networks—especially public networks. This combination allows us to extend our protection of personal data beyond the device to the network.”

Shifting tides

Webroot WiFi Security arrives at a time when the fragile state of our online privacy is becoming more apparent and better understood by internet users around the world. Recent revelations of government surveillance via the Snowden leaks, social media data collection like that in the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, and data breaches including the Equifax hack have fueled a palpable rise in data privacy concerns.

Over half of internet users from around the world say they are “more concerned about their online privacy than they were a year ago,” according to a 2018 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust.

Another key factor with grave implications for data privacy in the United States specifically was the 2017 repeal of privacy regulations for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which aimed to ensure broadband customers had choice, greater transparency, and strong security protections for their personal info collected by ISPs.

“ISPs are facing less regulation today, and so can continue to share, sell, and profit by passing on user information to third parties— browser history, location, communications content, financial details, etc.—without the user’s knowledge or consent,” said Webroot Sr. VP of Product Strategy & Technology Alliances Chad Bacher.

Taking control of privacy

Now more than ever, individual users must take steps to regain control over their online privacy and security. Along with keeping trusted antivirus software installed on mobile and home devices, users should actively protect their data in transit over networks with a VPN.

But it’s important to note that all VPN applications are not created equal. Many users looking for a privacy solution find themselves wondering if they can trust that their VPN provider has their interests at heart. Consumer wariness concerning the privacy of VPN products is justified—some VPN apps, especially free ones, are guilty of sharing or selling their user data to third parties, limiting bandwidth, or serving ads. Facebook’s VPN app was recently removed from the Apple App Store® following concerns over the app’s misuse of user data.

Webroot WiFi Security provides one of the most powerful forms of encryption available, AES 256-bit encryption, and protects user data from cybercriminals and ISPs alike. Webroot WiFi Security does not collect your browsing activity, the sites you visit, downloaded data (or shared or viewed), DNS queries, or IP addresses. The full Webroot WiFi Security Privacy Statement can be found here.

Privacy plus the protection of Web Filtering

In addition to the privacy safeguards of Webroot WiFi Security that protect users while they work, share, bank, and browse online, users also benefit from the integration of Webroot BrightCloud® Threat Intelligence.* The app’s Web Filtering feature provides an extra layer of protection to keep your financial information, passwords, and personal files from being exploited. Webroot WiFi Security is powered by the same threat intelligence platform the world’s leading IT security vendors trust.

“Not only is Webroot protecting user privacy, it’s also shielding users from phishing sites and websites associated with malware,” said Malinger.

Webroot WiFi Security is compatible with devices running iOS®, Android™, macOS® and Windows® operating systems, and is now available to download on the Apple App Store, Google Play™ store, and Webroot.com.

*Only available on Windows, Mac and Android systems

The post Webroot WiFi Security: Expanding Our Commitment to Security & Privacy appeared first on Webroot Blog.

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Bad Apps: Protect Your Smartphone from Mobile Malware

Reading Time: ~2 min.

Smartphone apps make life easier, more productive, and more entertaining. But can you trust every app you come across? Malicious mobile apps create easy access to your devices for Android and iOS malware to wreak havoc. And there are many untrusted and potentially dangerous apps lurking around in app stores determined to outsmart your smartphone. With the average user having 35 apps installed on their phone, according to Google, it’s easy to see why smartphones can be such a easy target.

But my iPhone is safe, right?

Both Apple iOS and Android devices are targeted by hackers, and while the latter is a more popular target,  both platforms are both susceptible to various types of cyberattacks. After all, Apple’s latest version of iOS 11 was cracked just one day after its release via vulnerabilities in the Safari web browser, according to ZDNet.

Protect yourself from bad apps:

All of this means that unprotected smartphones are soft targets for cybercriminals, with weaknesses that hackers can ultimately exploit to generate revenue. The first defense is knowing that you can’t trust all apps. These tips will also help you stay protected as you search for the good ones:

  1. Download apps from reputable stores. The major, reliable providers are Galaxy Apps (Samsung), the App Store (iOS), Amazon App Store, and Google Play (Android).
    Google Play, for example, scans 50 billion apps daily to detect malware before publishing new ones.
  2. Disable “Unknown Sources” for Android devices, which prevents installing apps from sources other than the Google Play Store. So, if you use Amazon App Store, you’ll need to enable “Unknown Sources”. In that case, be mindful before allowing any other app or website to install something on your phone. It should also be noted that changes to this functionality are coming with the latest update to Android’s Oreo operating system.
  3. Keep Android USB debugging off. It can prevent outside malware from accessing your phone through corded connections, such as from a public charging station.
  4. Don’t jailbreak your iPhone. Allowing access and changes to your phone’s software can allows outsider apps that may not be trustworthy.
  5. Beware of any website, text, email, or anything asking you to install an app. Search for your own apps at the store and research all apps before installing.
  6. Beware of granting excessive permissions. Apps that perform basic functions, such as a flashlight, don’t need to access your personal information, for example.
  7. Read app reviews before installing, and review and report sinister apps. Users working together as a community can help alert unsuspecting victims to phony apps.
  8. Be cautious about providing your credit card or banking information. Avoid making transactions over apps that are not well known to you or the user community and be careful about hidden charges such as microtransactions.
  9. Install OS and other software updates. It always recommended to keep your OS and apps updated with the latest patches. It’s also smart to consider phones from vendors that release prompt security patches. Many software updates are designed to defend against malware and other emergent threats.
  10. Use trusted internet security software. No matter how careful you are, it is wise to employ a reputable layer of online security.

Prevention, prevention, prevention.

Sometimes free mobile apps, including free security software apps from unknown providers, are suspect. The convenience of a quick download and excessive trust are not worth saving a few seconds or cents. Do your research, follow these 10 tips, and protect your well-being on any mobile device.

 

The post Bad Apps: Protect Your Smartphone from Mobile Malware appeared first on Webroot Blog.

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‘Smishing’: SMS and the Emerging Trend of Scamming Mobile Users via Text Messages

Reading Time: ~3 min.

Text messages are now a common way for people to engage with brands and services, with many now preferring texts over email. But today’s scammers have taken a liking to text messages or smishing, too, and are now targeting victims with text message scams sent via shortcodes instead of traditional email-based phishing attacks.

What do we mean by shortcodes

Businesses typically use shortcodes to send and receive text messages with customers. You’ve probably used them before—for instance, you may have received shipping information from FedEx via the shortcode ‘46339’. Other shortcode uses include airline flight confirmations, identity verification, and routine account alerts. Shortcodes are typically four to six digits in the United States, but different countries have different formats and number designations.

The benefits of shortcodes are fairly obvious. Texts can be more immediate and convenient, making it easier for customers to access links and interact with their favorite brands and services. One major drawback, however, is the potential to be scammed by a SMS-based phishing attack, or ‘Smishing’ attack. (Not surprisingly given the cybersecurity field’s fondness for combining words, smishing is a combination of SMS and phishing.)

All the Dangers of Phishing Attacks, Little of the Awareness

The most obvious example of a smishing attack is a text message containing a link to mobile malware. Mistakenly clicking on this type of link can lead to a malicious app being installed on your smartphone. Once installed, mobile malware can be used to log your keystrokes, steal your identity, or hold your valuable files for ransom. Many of the traditional dangers in opening emails and attachments from unknown senders are the same in smishing attacks, but many people are far less familiar with this type of attack and therefore less likely to be on guard against it.

Text messages from shortcodes can contain links to malware and other dangers.

Smishing for Aid Dollars

Another possible risk in shortcodes is that sending a one-word response can trigger a transaction, allowing a charge to appear on your mobile carrier’s bill. When a natural disaster strikes, it is common for charities to use shortcodes to make it incredibly easy to donate money to support relief efforts. For instance, if you text “PREVENT” to the shortcode 90999, you will donate $10 USD to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

But this also makes it incredibly easy for a scammer to tell you to text “MONSOON” to a shortcode number while posing as a legitimate organization. These types of smishing scams can lead to costly fraudulent charges on your phone bill, not to mention erode aid agencies ability to solicit legitimate donations from a wary public. A good resource for determining the authenticity of a shortcode in the United States is the U.S. Short Code Directory. This site allows you to look up brands and the shortcodes they use, or vice versa.

Protect yourself from Smishing Attacks

While a trusted mobile security app can help you stay protected from a variety of mobile threats, avoiding smishing attacks demands a healthy dose of cyber awareness. Be skeptical of any text messages you receive from unknown senders and assume messages are risky until you are sure you know the sender or are expecting the message. Context is also very important. If a contact’s phone is lost or stolen, that contact can be impersonated. Make sure the message makes sense coming from that contact.

The post ‘Smishing’: SMS and the Emerging Trend of Scamming Mobile Users via Text Messages appeared first on Webroot Blog.