In the COVID-19 era, businesses in Singapore have steadily moved towards remote work arrangements. Similarly, schools have also had to navigate the new normal with the introduction of home-based learning (HBL). The government has announced that these new arrangements are here to stay even post-pandemic. As families spend more time on their devices at home, internet security has become very important to many people. What can you do to ensure that your family is using technology safely at home? Read on to learn 5 of the best ways you can protect your home from cybersecurity threats.

Manage your passwords

Do you use the same password across different online accounts? Or keep a list of all your passwords on a note in your phone? These are just some examples of bad password management habits that you should avoid.

For all your online accounts, use only strong passwords that are not easy to guess. A strong password consists of a combination of alphabets, numbers, and special characters; and should be 10-15 characters long.

Always use a different password for every account. If you are using the same password for all your accounts and someone hacks into one of them, then your other accounts might also get compromised. Using a unique password will ensure that a single cybersecurity threat won’t affect all of your online activities.

Remember to change your passwords regularly and not keep the same password for years. This will not only help to ensure internet security at home but also protect you against unauthorised users who might be lurking.

Avoid becoming overwhelmed by a large number of different passwords by using a password manager. It stores and protects your login credentials in an encrypted format, allowing you to use them directly in web forms.

ESET Smart Security Premium is an antivirus software that offers a password manager for all your devices. If you are running out of ideas for passwords, ESET Password Manager’s built-in password generator feature will provide suggestions for strong passwords automatically. It provides the ultimate internet security for Windows and internet security for Mac, ensuring that all your devices are protected.

Invest in up-to-date antivirus software

Singapore has seen a rise in phishing scams. For example, hackers can pose as bank employees and use emails to trick users into revealing their internet banking credentials. Hackers can also use very accurately designed notifications from big companies like Microsoft, Google or Facebook, citing “unusual sign-in activity detected from your account”. According to a Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) report, 47,500 phishing cases were reported in Singapore last year, which is 3 times more than the cases in 2018.

Maintaining an up-to-date antivirus is therefore crucial for ensuring internet security in your home. Good antivirus software will safeguard your devices from virus, malware, and ransomware, and those with antispyware detect and prevent unwanted spyware installations in your device and remove them if already installed.

Ensuring your software version is up-to-date is important, but we cannot forget that the software features must also keep up with your needs. As shopping and banking online becomes a big part of your lifestyle, it is essential to have banking and payment protection to keep all your online transactions secure. Choose an antivirus software that provides a secure browser that automatically protects you while internet banking and accessing web-based crypto-wallets. To understand which software suits your needs, compare the different ESET products.

Educate your family

It’s easy to get complacent about cybersecurity at home, but with the growing number of cyber threats in Singapore, the topic cannot be ignored. Take the time to educate your family about the kinds of threats they face and how they can protect themselves.

Scammers use emails, social networks, gaming sites, video streaming sites and more to install malware in your device when you unknowingly visit a compromised website. Your family might be unaware of the possible online threats while downloading content or software from the internet, or using their email.

Security software automatically detects any malware while downloading a file, or opening an email attachment or URL, thus preventing your internet security from being compromised. That alone, however, isn’t enough. With scams becoming increasingly sophisticated, everyone needs to easily recognise malware and phishing.

Opt for fuss-free protection

Nobody likes too many interruptions while using their device. The ideal antivirus software should offer non-disruptive, yet advanced protection (that means no annoying pop-ups).

Look for one that works quietly in the background and allows you to focus on your activities, such as gaming, where it’s important to eliminate any distractions that could affect your experience.

Secure your router

Your internet router plays a vital role in ensuring the best internet security for your home. While having the best internet security software is important, investing in the right router is equally important.

After buying and installing a new router, a common mistake people make is retaining the default router settings. It’s best to secure your router by changing both the password used to connect to the router and the password used to access its settings. Learn how to configure your router securely here.

Lastly, don’t forget to keep your router’s firmware updated with the latest security updates. To do so, sign up to your router manufacturer’s alert list to get timely reminders as soon as the latest updates are available. To get the best internet security, it’s wise to spend a bit more to get a router from a reputable brand that provides updates for the next 2-3 years, instead of buying a low-priced router that leaves you vulnerable in the future.

Bratislava – ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, has joined fifty other signatory companies operating in the Slovak Republic in signing the Diversity Charter of the Slovak Republic. In a first, the signing ceremony took place online. The Diversity Charter is a voluntary initiative by companies and organizations to promote diversity in the workplace. It is supported by the European Commission via the EU Platform of Diversity Charters, which supports the dissemination and sharing of principles, good practice and experience on diversity management in EU countries.

“For ESET, as a technology company, a central tenet of diversity and CSR activities is strengthening the representation of women and girls in IT, not only for the company itself, but for the entire sector as a whole. By signing the Diversity Charter of the Slovak Republic, we want to demonstrate that ESET takes inclusion and diversity seriously and that it is a matter of principle for us,” said Lucia Marková, ESET’s CSR Manager, at the signing of the Diversity Charter.

Membership in this initiative is open to all companies and organizations that are aware of the importance of equal treatment, inclusion and diversity in the workplace. The signatories agree with the content of the Diversity Charter of the Slovak Republic and subscribe to the following principles:

• Voluntarily integrate into the life of the company a set of principles and procedures that take into account diversity and an inclusive approach in the workplace.
• Build a relationship toward employees based on these principles and raise awareness of diversity issues at the management level.
• Inspire other companies operating in Slovakia and spread awareness of the benefits arising from the implementation of a policy of diversity.

“We work hard at creating a respectful environment in which all our employees feel welcome, without distinction. We promote diversity in the workplace very naturally; on our part, we mainly focus on a receptive and individual approach, not on statistics. We also pay serious attention to the approach we’ve taken to promote mental health at work, a very current topic that underlies the success of any and all employees,” concludes Daniela Škripková, Chief HR Officer at ESET.

BRATISLAVA – ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, has earned the AAA award, the highest possible prize, for its ESET Endpoint Security solution in SE Labs’ Q3 Enterprise Endpoint Protection awards. This is the second time that ESET has been recognized with SE Labs’ top award in 2020, after receiving the same rating in Q1.

SE Labs is an independently run testing company that aims to improve information technology security by assessing products and services designed to detect attacks, protect against intrusions or both. It tested nine endpoint security solutions between July and September 2020 to evaluate how effective the products were at detecting and protecting against threats in real time. ESET Endpoint Security received a total accuracy rating of 1,135, the second highest score of any security solution tested.

ESET Endpoint Security, which combines robust antivirus and network security software to protect businesses, was exposed to a mixture of targeted attacks and real-world public email and web-based threats in the testing process. The results demonstrate that the solution is effective at blocking malicious URLs, handling exploits, and correctly classifying legitimate applications and websites.

ESET was also recognized with the highest prize in SE Labs’ Q1 report earlier in the year, receiving the same AAA rating.

Jiri Kropáč, Head of Threat Detection Labs at ESET, commented: “ESET Endpoint Security provides customers with the best level of protection possible, and receiving this AAA rating from SE Labs is testament to that. We are constantly adapting and advancing our technology to provide a balance of cutting-edge detection and prevention and optimum performance, and this is reflected in the report’s recognition of the solution’s ability to block malicious URLs and classify applications. We are proud to be continually recognized for our offerings, and are dedicated to protecting our customers from cybersecurity threats.”

BRATISLAVA – After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic upended the way we live, work and socialize, we are likely to see an increased threat from ransomware and fileless malware in 2021, according to the latest trends report from ESET. Cybersecurity Trends 2021: Staying secure in uncertain times explores the predictions of experts from the global cybersecurity firm, revealing the key challenges expected to impact consumers and businesses in 2021.

Trend #1: The future of work – embracing a new reality

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in mass implementation of remote working, which has seen a heavier reliance on technology than ever before. This shift away from the office has brought benefits for employees, but it has also left companies’ networks vulnerable to attack.

Jake Moore, ESET Security Specialist, commented, “We have all learned that working remotely can benefit organizations; however, I don’t think that we will continue to work remotely five days a week. More employees around the world will naturally and effortlessly migrate to what works for them and their businesses. As more and more of our working and home lives become digitized, cybersecurity will remain the lynchpin of business safety. Cyberattacks are a persistent threat to organizations, and businesses must build resilient teams and IT systems to avoid the financial and reputational consequences of such an attack.”

Trend #2: Ransomware with a twist – pay up or your data gets leaked

With ransomware attackers seeking greater leverage to coerce victims into paying, as well as upping the ante in ransom demands, the stakes are increasing for victims. Exfiltration and extortion may not be new techniques, but they are certainly growing trends.

Tony Anscombe, ESET Chief Security Evangelist, commented, “Companies are becoming smarter, deploying technologies that thwart attacks and creating resilient backup and restore processes, so the bad actors need a ‘Plan B’ to be able to monetize their effort and build resilience into the attack, rather than being reliant on a single form of threat.

“Thwarted attacks or diligent backup and restore processes may no longer be enough to fend off a committed cybercriminal who’s demanding a ransom payment. The success in monetizing due to a change of technique offers cybercriminals an increased chance of a return on investment. This is a trend that, unfortunately, I am sure we will witness more of in 2021.”

Trend #3: Beyond prevention – keeping up with the shifting sands of cyberthreats

In recent years, cybercriminal groups have turned to using increasingly complex techniques to deploy highly targeted attacks. Some time ago, the security community began to talk about “fileless malware” attacks, which piggyback on the operating system’s own tools and processes and leverage them for malicious purposes. These techniques have gained more traction recently, having been employed in various cyberespionage campaigns and by various malicious actors, mainly to hit high-profile targets such as government entities.

Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, ESET Senior Security Researcher, noted, “Fileless threats have been evolving rapidly, and it is expected that in 2021 these methods will be used in increasingly complex and larger-scale attacks. This situation highlights the need for security teams to develop processes leveraging tools and technologies that not only prevent malicious code from compromising computer systems, but that also have detection and response capabilities – even before these attacks fulfill their mission.”

Trend #4: Bad vibes – security flaws in smart sex toys

With new models of smart toys for adults entering the market all the time, research has shown that we are a long way from being able to use smart sex toys without exposing ourselves to the risk of a cyberattack. Now these findings are more relevant than ever, as we are seeing a rapid rise in sex toy sales as a reflection of a global health crisis and the social distancing measures related to COVID-19.

Cecilia Pastorino, ESET Security Researcher, commented, “The era of smart sex toys is just beginning. The latest advances in the industry include models with VR (Virtual Reality) capabilities and AI-powered sex robots that include cameras, microphones and voice analysis capabilities based on artificial intelligence techniques. As has been proven time and time again, secure development and public awareness will be key to ensuring the protection of sensitive data, while we empower users to become smart consumers who are able to demand better practices from vendors in order to maintain control of their digital intimacy in the years to come.”

For more information on the trends set to impact the world in 2021, head to this link to read ESET’s Cybersecurity Trends 2021 in full.