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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1234839
Covid-19 Security And Privacy In A Pandemic World By SecureMac.com The world is changing so fast that it can be hard to keep up. On this issue, we'll take a look at how life is going to be different in the weeks and months ahead — and what you can do to stay safe, productive … and happy. Keeping your Data Locked Down The current Covid-19 pandemic is a global crisis, and public and private sector organizations are responding accordingly. In the United States, many businesses are offering free access to their tools and infrastructure in order to assist the millions of Americans suddenly forced to work from home. These moves are commendable, and will likely be of great help to many people. But even in times of crisis — or perhaps especially in times of crisis — we should be mindful of the security and privacy implications of the services we sign up for. One major cable company, for example, is providing free WiFi to any- one who needs it. But while taking advantage of free WiFi may make sense for a lot of people, doing so will also necessitate giving a large company your personal information, which does carry some risk. So how are people in the middle of a crisis situation supposed to make intelligent decisions about security and privacy? The best ad- vice is to evaluate each offer on a case by case basis, try to balance risk with need, and mitigate risk by limiting the amount of personal data you expose. In the case of free WiFi, for example, you may want to check with your cellular provider first to determine if it's really necessary to take advantage of the offer. Many mobile providers are temporarily suspending their data caps to assist people who have to stay at home due to "shelter in place" orders. In short, you may already have unlimited Internet access on your mobile device — making free WiFi unnecessary. If you do decide to use a free service, try to do what you can to limit the amount of personal data you provide to the company offering it, and remember to follow best practices for security and privacy. For example, don't reuse a password that you're already using on another site, and consider signing up with a privacy-focused sign-in tool like Sign in with Apple. You should also consider the reputation of the company offering the free service. For example, if it's your regular ISP or a large, well- known provider, it's probably OK to trust them with data security. But if it's a smaller or brand-new provider, you may want to consider using a VPN. On the subject of VPNs, remember that these are only as secure as the people running them — and that there have been cases