While our specialization is in providing leading cybersecurity solutions to businesses, we know that keeping your data secure isn’t just important in a professional context, but in a personal one as well. Safeguarding your financial, health, or personal details is paramount, and it can be difficult to know where to start.
Tech gadgets are a popular gifting item, but even if a product promises to clean your floor or entertain your kids, or even boost your health and wellness, they can come with hidden security risks. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to help you make informed shopping and gifting guide this holiday season.
At the 2023 CES electronics show, Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, shared with the Washington Post that many tech companies tend to fix security issues after they happen, rather than designing safety features upfront. “Companies are really focused on cost, capability, performance, and speed to market, not on basic safety,” she said.
Keep Security In Mind When Purchasing These Gifts
Camera Devices
Doorbell cameras are handy for keeping an eye on your home, but if they’re not properly secured, hackers could potentially access live footage and know when you’re home or away. Always look for devices that offer end-to-end encryption and have clear, easy-to-understand privacy policies.
AI-Powered Home Devices
Remember the incident when images from iRobot’s AI-enabled Roomba were leaked in 2022? While the company said users agreed to share their data, it’s a reminder of the risks that come with AI devices collecting so much personal information. Always read the privacy policy and make sure you can customize your data settings. If the company isn’t clear about how they use your data, it might be worth looking elsewhere.
Tracking Devices for Kids
While tracking devices for kids seem like a thoughtful gift, they can expose your child’s real-time location to hackers or even third parties. In 2021, Life360, a popular family safety app, was found to be selling user location data to data brokers. A safer option is to talk openly with your kids about location sharing and use built-in tools like Google’s Family Link or Apple’s end-to-end encrypted location sharing.
Genetic Testing Kits
In 2023, nearly 7 million 23andMe users had their genetic data hacked. This highlights the risks of genetic testing—criminals target this sensitive information, and companies like Ancestry.com and Veritas have also experienced breaches. Beyond theft, law enforcement can sometimes access genetic data. Once you share your DNA, you’re also sharing your relatives’ and future generations’ information.
Give the Gift of Focus with Notification Grouping
Constant notifications can pull you away from the people you’re spending time with, but there’s an easy fix! This holiday season, try grouping your notifications so you only get a summary instead of dozens of alerts. You can even turn off notifications you don’t want to see, giving you more quality time with family and friends.
For iPhone users: Go to Settings -> Notifications, select the app you want to manage, and tap Notification Grouping. Choose “By App” to group your notifications.
For Android users: Head to Apps & Notifications in Settings, pick the apps you want to manage, and turn on “Notification Grouping” or “Bundled Notifications” based on how you’d like them grouped.
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