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-----Original Message-----
From: U.S. Department of Homeland Security <departmentofhomelandsecurity at service.govdelivery.com>
To: raycord <raycord at aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Dec 11, 2015 5:06 am
Subject: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Daily Digest Bulletin


		
			
				
					
						

	
						
						
							
	
		
Holiday Travel Tips – How to Stay Cyber Safe While On-The-Go		
	
	
		
12/10/2015		
	
	
		




Stop.Think.Connect. December 2015 Update





In This Issue

Holiday Travel Tips: How to Stay Cyber Safe While On-The-Go
Cyber inthe News: VTech Hack Exposes 6.4 Million Child Profiles Online
FTC’sIdentity Theft Resource
“Toast 2016with Digital New Year’s Resolutions” Twitter Chat
NetsmartzTeaching Digital Citizenship






HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS: HOW TO STAY CYBER SAFE WHILE ON-THE-GO
Millions ofAmericans will hit the road this holiday season to visit family, friends, andloved ones across the country. Almost all of these travelers will take their smartphones,laptops, tablets, and other smart devices with them. These devices offer a rangeof conveniences such as allowing us to order gifts on-the-go, providing us withdirections, and even letting us download our boarding pass to pass throughsecurity with just our mobile device. However, with all of these addedconveniences often come potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Travel smart withyour mobile devices by following these cybersecurity tips from DHS’s nationalcybersecurity awareness campaign, Stop.Think.Connect.™:

Secureyour devices. To prevent theft and unauthorized access while traveling oron vacation, never leave your mobile device unattended in a public place andlock your device – with a strong passcode or password – when it is not in use.
Connectwith caution. Although convenient during this busy holiday season, mostpublic Wi-Fi networks are not secure. Do not conduct sensitive activities –like online shopping or banking – on public Wi-Fi while you’re out and about.Disable automatic Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections on your devices.
Thinkbefore you click. Do not click on suspicious links or email attachmentsunless you know the source. Cyber criminals use holiday shopping and travelscams to gain access to people’s information or computer systems.
Consider what you post. Wait to post pictures from trips and events sothat people do not know where to find you. Posting where you are also reminds others that yourhouse is empty, making it a prime target for break-ins this time of year.


Learn more aboutmobile security with Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign’s CybersecurityWhile Traveling tip card. 



CYBER IN THE NEWS: VTECH HACK EXPOSES 6.4 MILLION CHILD PROFILES ONLINE
VTech, the makerof tablets and numerous toys for children, recently discovered that 6.4 millionchild accounts and 4.9 million parent accounts were accessed by hackers. Thishas potentially exposed the personal information including the data, photos,and videos of the parents and children.
What You Need to Know

The company reported that hackers accessed the LearningLodge app store database which allows consumers to download apps, learninggames, e-books, and other educational content aimed at children to their VTechproducts.
The stolen data included names and birth datesof kids, mailing addresses and e-mail addresses, as well as what e-books,learning games and other software were downloaded to the toy.
Credit card and payment information was NOTcompromised.
There is no evidence at this time that thestolen data has been used or published publicly.

What You Can Do
A child's personalinformation, such as their Social Security number, can be used by identitythieves to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, orapply for a loan. This could ruin a child's credit before they even turn 18 yearsold.
If you think youor your child’s information has been compromised in the VTech breach, theStop.Think.Connect. Campaign encourages you to immediately changeyour password on your VTech account and any other accounts that might be usingthe same email address and/or password combination. For more information,please visit the VTech Q&A on the topic here.In addition, the Federal Trade Commission, a Stop.Think.Connect. Campaignpartner, has a resource to help you if you suspect your child is a victim ofidentity theft here.
More and moretoys are becoming connected to the Internet, meaning that sensitive data aboutchildren is becoming exposed to potential hackers. As many kids and parentsalike will receive new toys and gadgets during the holidays, it is increasinglyimportant to understand the technology you and your children are using to avoidhaving sensitive information stolen. The Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaignencourages you to always take the following steps:

Keep your child’s personalinformation private. Avoidsharing their name, address, telephone number, or the name of their school whenusing the Internet, apps, or any online devices. When setting up onlineaccounts for your children, don’t use their real information. Remember thatthere is no “delete” button online, once something is posted about your childon the Internet, it remains online forever, well after they’ve grown up.
Use parental controls. Take advantage of basicsecurity settings available on the devices or apps your family uses. Limit whoyou are sharing information with by reviewing the privacy settings on all accounts.Know the passwords for all of your children’s accounts, especially for socialmedia.
Keep a clean machine. Just like your smartphone orlaptop, keep any device that connects to the Internet free from viruses andmalware. Update the software regularly on the device itself as well as themobile applications you use to control the device.


For more tips onhow to keep your family safe online, visit the Stop.Think.Connect. Toolkitto find resources including the ParentsTip Card, the SocialMedia Guide, and the Chattingwith Kids about Being Online Booklet. 



FTC’S IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCE
Theholiday season is the busiest shopping time of the year – unfortunately it isalso peak time for cyber criminals looking to steal identities. According to a2015 survey by the National Retail Federation, nearly half of Americanconsumers will do their holiday shopping online this year – which providesample opportunity for cyber criminals to steal sensitive information such asnames, addresses, and bank account information.


Thankfully, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a one-stop resource to help you report and recover from identity theft – identitytheft.gov.






This free resource provides consumers with information on how they can report identity theft and steps they can take to reclaim their identity. Next month, the FTC is releasing new features on identitytheft.gov which will further help victims of identity theft. These features include tailored plans for consumers to recover their identities. As consumers fill out their information on the website, forms and letters will be automatically generated to go out to debt collectors, businesses, and credit reporting agencies to notify them of the identity theft – helping to streamline the process for consumers.
If you or someone you know is concerned that they have had their identity stolen, please visit identitytheft.gov to learn what steps you can take. 



“TOAST 2016 WITH DIGITAL NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS” TWITTER CHAT
New Year’s isfast approaching, and with the new year comes self-reflection and theopportunity to make lifestyle changes to ensure a happier, healthier, morefulfilling life. As you make your New Year’s resolutions to improve youroffline life, it’s a good time to set goals for protecting your online one aswell. This #ChatSTC Twitter Chat will discuss setting digital resolutions forthe year ahead and how being #PrivacyAware and #CyberAware can factor in toyour 2016 goals.  

Use #ChatSTC to join!
When:Thursday, Dec. 17, 3-4 p.m. EDT/12-1 p.m. PDT
Moderator:STOP. THINK. CONNECT. (@STOPTHNKCONNECT)





RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT: NETSMARTZ TEACHING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
In recentyears – as laptops and tablets have become more prevalent – primary andsecondary schools have integrated computers into their everyday curriculum.Technology has been in the classroom for many years. In 2009, 97% of teachershad one or more computers located in the classroom and 54% allowed students tobring their own personal devices to use, according to the National Center forEducational Statistics. As schools begin to rely even more on technology for schoolwork,teachers and administrators have a responsibility to prepare and protectstudents from the risks that come with access to computers and the internet. Thesethreats include everything from online bullying to sexual predators. 
To assisteducators in understanding and dealing with these dangers, Netsmartz Workshop haspartnered with Disney’s Club Penguin to release a free new resource –Teaching Digital Citizenship (TDC). TDCprovides online training programs that illustrate how adults can teach kids toprotect themselves from digital dangers such as online sexual solicitation,cyberbullying, and sexting. Additionally, TDC provides curriculum on digitalliteracy and ethics, online privacy, and inappropriate content.
TDC is anhour-long program that is self-paced, meaning educators can pick up where theyleft off the next time they log in. While the program is ideal for teachers –it is recommended for anyone teaching online safety to children between theages of 5-17 – it can also be used by parents and law enforcement officers aswell. To register or learn more about TDC, please click here.
NetSmartzWorkshop is an interactive, educational program of the National Center forMissing & Exploited Children that provides age-appropriate resources tohelp teach children how to be safer on and offline. In order to learn moreabout the resources NetSmartz offers, please visit their website at www.netsmartz.org.




  


		
	

							
						
						
							
								
									
										


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