Cybercrime isn’t something that happens somewhere else. The Tri-Cities area of NE TN and SW VA has seen its share. It’s something that can’t be ignored.  

The National Association of Realtors© (NAR) offers these reminders that can help keep Realtors®, and their clients, in a safe zone: 

• Never click on unknown email attachments or links. 
• Use encrypted email, a transaction management platform, or a document-sharing program to share sensitive information. 
• Carefully guard login and access credentials to email and other services used in the transaction. 
• Regularly purge your email account and archive important emails in a secure location. 
• Use strong passwords such as phrases or a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. 
• Do not use the same password for multiple accounts. 
• Consider using a password manager. 
• Use two-factor authentication whenever it is available. 
• Avoid doing business over public, unsecured WiFi. 

NAR also urges members and brokers to: 

• Keep antivirus software and firewalls active and up to date 
• Keep your operating system and programs patched, and up to date. 
• Regularly back up critical data, applications, and systems. Keep backed-up data separate from online systems. 
• Don’t download apps without verifying that they are legitimate and won’t install malware or breach privacy. 
• Don’t click on links in texts from unknown senders. 
• Before engaging any outside IT provided, review the applicable privacy policies and contracts with your attorney. 

Another important reminder is to assume everything said and done during a showing could be on video. That means guarding “likes, dislikes, and discussions about negotiations” so  they can’t be overhead. 

The World Economic Forum’s State of the Connected World found that the use of connected devices increased dramatically during the pandemic. It delivered many benefits, and an increased volume of threats. 

Here are a few examples of household items that should get extra attention. 

• Smart TVs 
• Video doorbells and intelligent security systems 
• Robot vacuum cleaners 
• Smart garage door openers 
• Smart baby monitors  

Each of the devices shares the same vulnerabilities. They are not connected to the Internet of Things but are part of a home’s Wi-Fi network. 

A recent survey found that almost half (42%) of homeowners use smart home devices. And 98% of them are aware of and worry about privacy threats because, all too often, smart devices have weaknesses that make them vulnerable to attack.  

The Forum offers these reminders to help reduce smart device vulnerabilities at home. 

• Connect devices with an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi when possible 
• 2. Use strong and unique passwords 
• 3. Always change the default name of your Wi-Fi network after it’s installed 
• 4. Use two-step verification 
• 5. Keep your devices updated and turn them off when you are not using them 
• 6. Always complete the device set-up when you use it for the first time 
• 7. Don’t buy cheap connected devices 

NAR recommends that homeowners have: 

• A Main network 
• A Guest network 
• A Surveillance camera network 
• An Internet of things smart device network 

It’s more complex to configure, but it’s worth the effort, according to David Nguyen Regional Manager for Linksys Business Products. A detailed article on his and other suggestions for keeping a smart home security can be found on Realtor© Magazine at https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/technology/keeping-your-smart-home-secure 

There’s no argument that the technology surge that began during the pandemic has made many things more convenient. They have become a fact of life, making increased cybersecurity awareness part of that fact of life.