Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
The summer is here
Indeed, summer is associated with long, lazy, relaxing days in the sun. Nothing to worry about in the world.
Unfortunately everyone does not take their vacation at the same time as you. Cyber crime does not stop during summer - in fact cyber criminals have their heyday during this season.
By taking some precautions however, you can make the cyber criminals' work more difficult.
Do not announce to everyone that you are away
Social network communities like Twitter, Facebook and others are frequently used to update your friends about your current activities. You may therefore feel that it is adequate to inform your friends that during period so-and-so, you will be on vacation somewhere. Depending on your setting in the social community of which you are a member, this information may also be available to other people - potentially everyone who is a member of that community.
Criminals - even ordinary, not only the cyber type - are Internet users, and if they become aware of the fact that your house is empty while you are enjoying yourself on a beach somewhere, your home may climb up the criminals' ladder of potential successful break-ins.
In order to avoid advertising your plans for vacating your home, do not post information about your whereabouts indiscriminately.
To some extent the same caution applies for automatic email replies during vacation. If you need to use this, do not divulge too much personal information.
For more information regarding this issue, see our security article HELLO! My house is ready for burglars
Program updates during summer
We have established that all cyber criminals do not have their vacation at the same time as you. Software vulnerabilities and exploits will therefore be discovered and utilized by malware during summer. Consequently the software vendors, including security software vendors, will publish security updates and malware signature files following their regular patterns.
You may bring your computer with you during your vacation, and should be as vigilant as usual regarding updating your software. That part of your normal behavior should not go into vacation mode.
The necessity for regularly updating your operating systems and software is a topic in several of our security articles, see for example "We told you so" - hindsight is usually correct and Program flaws as malware propagation technique for more in-depth discussions regarding aspects of this.
Conducting "business as usual" from Internet cafés
During your vacation you may need to perform some tasks, which require access to the Internet. Some examples are updating yourself with news from your home town/country, reading and sending emails, updating your status in social communities (beware - see above!) and performing bank transactions.
Often you will have brought a portable computer or other device with you during your vacation, and can access the Internet through a public wireless access point. [See our article Public wireless access points - the world at your fingertips or risky business for a particularly disturbing issue regarding the use of public wireless access points.]
Another scenario is that you did not bring your own computer, and must use another one available to you. Beware then that the available computer's owner may not have the same strict security regime in place that you have implemented for yourself. Some transactions of information are best avoided unless you are certain that your communication is secure. Using Internet cafés for bank transactions and other tasks, which are critical regarding information security, is not recommended.
Back up your data
If you bring your computer, mobile phone or other device used to store personal data on your vacation, you should be aware of the fact that you are not in your usual "safe, well-known environment". You are probably more exposed to forgetting the device, mislaying it, or good old theft, than in your ordinary surroundings.
Remember to back up your data prior to going on vacation. Encrypting your sensitive data that resides on devices brought along, is also a good precaution. If fact such encryption is recommended regardless of where the device is used.
Conclusion
The summer season 2010 is close - let it be a positive experience for you and your family, avoid undesired surprises!
References
- "Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer": Song performed by Nat King Cole, lyrics by Charles Tobias and music by Hans Carste.
- Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer by Nat King Cole on YouTube.