Education is the Best Defense

Scroll, stream, and shop safely with support from RTC Networks

From the cell phones we use to communicate to the smart televisions we use to stream, we are all more connected to the internet than ever before. And while these devices can make our lives easier and more entertaining, they can also make us more vulnerable to cyberattacks. 

Ransomware and other threats are continuing to rise for both business and residential internet users. Security attacks increased 31 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to Accenture’s “State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021” report. 

Every person or business who uses the internet must take steps to ensure that their devices and data are safe. RTC Networks’ Network Manager, Dan Schilla, said it best: “Defense wins games, and education is the best defense against cybercriminals.” Here are a few simple steps that every individual can take to protect their network against cybercriminals:

• Use Strong Passwords (And Don’t Reuse Them)

It may be tempting to reuse a password like “abc1234” across all of your accounts, but each time you recycle a password, you make yourself more susceptible to attacks. To protect yourself and your information, it is important to use passwords that are long, complex, and unique and change them at least once per year. If you are worried about remembering all of your passwords, don’t write them down on a piece of paper that anyone could find—use a secure password manager, like Lastpass, which allows you to store all your valuable password information in one place.

• Stop Snoozing Device Updates

Device update notifications may be annoying, but they are also essential to maintaining your device’s security. Regularly installing crucial updates will protect your laptop, phone, and other devices from the latest threats, so when you get that notification, don’t ignore it–update your device right away.

• Look Out for Fake Links 

Over 84 percent of all cyber attacks were distributed via email in 2021–a 20 percent increase from 2019. Protect yourself by recognizing phishing emails, which are sent to trick people into clicking on a dangerous link. If you click on the link, ransomware can be downloaded onto your device, freezing systems and holding them hostage until money is paid to unlock the system. This simple action can carry serious and costly consequences.

Never click any links if you aren’t sure if the email is legitimate. On a Mac, you can hover over a link to see what the link address is. You can also right click on the link and select “Copy Link Address.” Paste this address into a word or text document to see if it looks fake. Rule of thumb: if you don’t recognize the link, don’t click it.

You don’t have to fight the battle against cybercriminals alone; RTC Networks is here to help. We have taken several precautions to ensure that every user who connects to the internet can do so safely.

Moving to a redundant, 100 percent fiber-optic network is just one way that RTC Networks is working to keep our users safe. Hackers have become more and more innovative over the years, making it easy to compromise traditional cable internet connections through cable tapping or other relatively simple methods. Because fiber networks don’t radiate signals, they are significantly more difficult to hack into.

We also utilize security tools to keep our network safe. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a form of cyber attack that aims to disrupt the normal traffic of a server, service, or network by flooding it with internet traffic. RTC Networks protects our customers from DDoS attacks using a tool that senses abnormal traffic going to or from a single IP address. We will then block that traffic so the attack cannot successfully bring down your network.

Defend Your Devices with ProtectIQ

You put locks on your doors to protect your family and belongings. Why not take the same precautions with your network?

The ProtectIQ home network cyber security tool helps you keep a lock on your network and alerts you when any unwanted visitors try to enter. The tool, created by Calix, Inc., allows broadband service providers like RTC Networks to stop web threats, intrusions, malware, and viruses from entering home networks.

ProtectIQ won the Cyber Defense Magazine 2022 Global InfoSec Award for Best in Anti-Phishing, Network Security, and Management, and now RTC Networks is making it more accessible than ever before. We are now including the myRTCnet app’s ProtectIQ feature free of charge for all internet subscribers. Not all homes have the equipment required for this function, but RTC Networks will work with you to get the tools you need. 

Contact RTC Networks today to start scrolling, streaming, and shopping more safely with ProtectIQ!