Travel seems to always be on everyone’s calendar during the summer months including many families around Bristol and Warren, RI take vacations in July and August before kids return to school. One thing to be aware of is that it also the perfect time for cybercriminals to prey on you and your family. Cybercrime is on the rise including many attacks on not only businesses but homeowners as well.
Whatever your travel plans are, you can protect your family by following these tips below from Property & Casualty 360:
- Don’t discuss travel plans on social media
- Be wary of public Wi-Fi.
- Be careful getting cash and making payments.
- Turn off home computers.
- Back up all data.
- Change passwords.
- Register for the Smart Traveler program.
Protect the home while away
Clients who will be gone for any period of time should take the following steps to protect their homes from cybercriminals: Alert the home alarm provider so they will know the house is vacant; ask their alarm company if they offer an encryption tool for their home security system to make it less vulnerable to hackers; disconnect the garage door opener and lock it manually to protect from criminals who can crack the electronic code; and unplug any devices or appliances connected to the internet.
Our team at John Andrade Insurance wants to make sure your home and assets are protected all year round. We are here to answer all your questions. Feel free to call us at (401) 253-6542 and visit our Facebook page!