The Amazon company Ring just issued a password reset after user logins were found online. Here is expert commentary from Peter Galvin, Chief Strategy Officer of nCipher Security.

“This is timely. According to our research, 72% of Americans say they plan to update their passwords and practice better personal security habits in the New Year. Nearly a quarter admit they update their passwords once a month or more. But – their plans are not full-proof. One in four Americans admit to a common security tactic that could easily be guessed by a hacker: they are going to include the current year when setting up a new password. All consumers should practice good password hygiene including updating their passwords and using multi-factor authentication (for example sending a message to your phone) to keep hackers at bay.”

nCipher Security also has a list of safety tips for holiday shopping based on their recent survey of consumers in the U.S. and UK about their security perceptions related to connected devices and new technology. This survey gauged their overall levels of trust in various industries – with a focus on the tech sector. 

Here are the main points:

• Before setting up a new device, review its privacy policy: Only 14% of UK consumers and 18% of U.S. consumers do this to ensure their device is secure, to understand where their data is stored, how it’s managed, etc. In 2020 more connected devices and migration of personal data to connected systems will mean an increased risk to confidential information.
• Verify your connected device is running up-to-date software: ensuring your devices are fully updated is a simple but critical step. Only 29% of UK respondents and 30% of U.S. respondents report checking for software updates.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi: Be wary of public networks, including free Wi-Fi hotspots, particularly those that aren’t password protected. In the UK, 37% avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks in an effort to keep their devices safe, and in the U.S. 36% steer clear of public Wi-Fi.
• Avoid switching between or surfing to other sites while in the process of inputting bank details to do price comparisons. You wouldn’t leave your credit card with the cashier and then go shop for other goods. The same logic should apply to leave your payment details open online and then surfing for other products. Web sites have a number of links for advertising or information links which in the rare case can be used for malicious purposes.