Summer safety checklist

Photo by Jonathan Petersson from Pexels

Summer is truly a wonderful time for everyone – the weather is gorgeous, the kids are home from school (okay, so this may not be so wonderful for parents from time to time), the days are longer and there’s all that glorious cabin time. The last thing you may be thinking about is being secure but it’s easier than you may think with these financial, physical and cyber safety pointers.

1. Remember that there is strength in numbers! When in doubt, walk with someone you know and trust. Better yet, walk with multiple someones. Take extra precaution at night. There are various safety apps that can help you stay safe when walking home or even traveling.
2. Keep your social media accounts private by regularly updating your security settings and checking the platforms for program changes. At the end of the day, it is important to have an understanding at all times of who can see what you’re posting and what they can do with that content or information.
3. On the note of social media, some things are meant to be kept secret. Avoid sharing personal or sensitive information of any kind through your social networks or messaging platforms.
4. If there’s a lock, use it. Hint: this applies to virtual locks too. What does that mean? Password protect whatever you are able. Better yet, use two-factor authentication.
5. Change your passwords every six months *minimum*. This is an easy way to protect your data and information and prevent against phishing
6. Know the mix of disaster plans in case of emergency at work (natural disaster, workplace violence, etc). Talk about it with your colleagues. Often. If your organization doesn’t have one, request it!
7. Stay off public Wi-Fi networks. Yes, they are easy to connect to, are (pretty much) everywhere and they’re free or low-cost to you that doing so seems like the convenient choice. However, there are several dangers that come along with connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, such as Man-in-the-Middle attacks and unencrypted networks. Instead, opt for a password-protected network, Virtual Private Network (VPN) or use your cellular data.
8. Teach your kids some easy ways to stay safe, too. There are various, simple ways of helping them stay safe online and out in the world that go beyond “stranger danger.”
9. When planning for summer travel, know how to spot fraudulent booking sites and understand the increased risks of credit card fraud.
10. Practice safe online banking – at home, at work and while traveling (especially while traveling).

Engaging in safe practices and taking the extra step to ensure your safety doesn’t have to be a chore (even if the kids may say so). If we missed any key safety tips that you feel need to be included in this list, tell us in the comments! Don’t forget to check the rest of our blog regularly for more great, easy-to-digest guides like this one.