The scenario happens this way. You answer the door and a guy (or a woman) is standing at your door, holding a laptop. They tell you that they have lost their cell phone, but that it has been traced to inside your residence. They ask if they can log on to your secured home network to verify if their lost cell phone is inside. Password, please.
What? You would probably stand there, listening, and start putting all the pieces together. You understand “lost cell phone.” You know the concept of a “find my phone” app. This person is telling you it’s inside your house, and they need your password to log into your home wi-fi to see if the phone is inside.
We are all nice folks, as a rule, and are quick to help out when asked. We have learned recently, however, that the scenario just described is not someone in distress who needs your help. It’s a bad actor with the chutzpah to stand right in front of you and hack into your family’s computers.
Call The Cops!
Yes. Call the police. Right after you turn this fraudster away and close the door. Call your neighbors and tell them someone is in the neighborhood running this dangerous scam. If you give the password to your wi-fi to a stranger, that person can then hack into your computers and steal key information to bank accounts, Social Security, credit cards, etc. But because someone was brazen enough to stand in front of you and ask, you are likely to think first about helping rather than to suspect you are being conned. Amazing to contemplate, isn’t it? But it’s happening.
Cybersecurity Is Not Just For Work
It wasn’t that many years ago that we all learned about hackers driving around in neighborhoods and hacking into home wi-fi networks. We defended by then making our personal wif-fi access password-protected. But hackers are always looking for the easy money, gained through the anonymity of the internet. It’s why you, as a consumer, are always being prodded to check your online accounts often, watching for any unauthorized activity. Catch a hack before the bad guys have a chance to run up charges on your credit cards, or open new accounts with your stolen identity.
Your Employees Learn About Phishing Usually Through Work Cybersecurity Training
Seriously—who reads about phishing scams in their leisure hours? Over the years here at Aptica, we’ve had many employees tell us that their cybersecurity training at work has helped them prevent cybersecurity breaches using their personal devices. As an employer, you should be glad to know that your employees have heightened awareness for their personal devices, some of which may have access to your business network. Any company is only as strong as its weakest link. Are your employees trained in cybersecurity? Recently? Aptica is really good at this training. Give us a call.
Jason Newburg, 260.243.5100, ext 2101, is the founder and owner of Aptica LLC. This IT management and support company has been serving small to medium-sized businesses for 19 years in the region that includes Angola, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, IN, Battle Creek, MI, and Toledo OH.