{"id":569,"date":"2025-11-21T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/?p=569"},"modified":"2025-11-25T08:51:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T13:51:58","slug":"cybersecurity-habits-this-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/2025\/11\/21\/cybersecurity-habits-this-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybersecurity Feast: Serving Up Safe Tech Habits This Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As families gather around the table to give thanks, it\u2019s also a perfect time to reflect on something we often take for granted: the safety of our digital lives. Just as Thanksgiving is about preparation\u2014defrosting the turkey, baking the pies, setting the table\u2014so too should your cybersecurity habits be ready for the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s how to make your cybersecurity plate as full and secure as your Thanksgiving one:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>1. Don\u2019t Fall for Phishy Leftovers<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are the digital gravy boat of the season\u2014but cybercriminals know it, too. This time of year, phishing emails pretending to be order confirmations, shipping notifications, or incredible sales are everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Pause before clicking<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on links or downloading attachments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check the sender&#8217;s address carefully.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you&#8217;re unsure, go directly to the retailer\u2019s official website rather than using a link.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Report It.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> If you\u2019re on your personal account, you can report it as phishing. If it\u2019s your Montclair account, hit the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/information-technology\/security\/pab\/\">PAB<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to let our team know!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. Secure the Wi-Fi Before the Guests Arrive<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hosting the family feast? If guests are connecting to your home Wi-Fi, make sure it\u2019s protected. An unsecured network is like leaving the front door open\u2014easy access for more than just relatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use a strong, unique password for your Wi-Fi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider setting up a <\/span><strong>guest network<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to keep visitors away from your smart devices and personal data.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep your router firmware updated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. Be Grateful, Not Forgetful\u2014Update Your Devices<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your devices need a little holiday TLC, too. Just like you wouldn\u2019t serve undercooked turkey, don\u2019t go into the holidays with outdated software.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>What to do:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Install updates for your operating system, apps, and antivirus software.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enable automatic updates where possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Shop Smart, Not Sorry<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Online shopping is a holiday tradition in itself, but it comes with risks. Fake websites and shady apps are just waiting to carve into your wallet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shop from trusted retailers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Look for HTTPS in the URL.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid deals that look too good to be true\u2014they probably are.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. Watch What You Share at the Table and Online<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oversharing on social media can lead to identity theft or let burglars know you&#8217;re out of town. Grandma might love your pumpkin pie post, but others might see more than just dessert.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Avoid posting travel plans or geo tagging your location.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t share personal info like your full address or phone number in public posts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Post it later! When you return home you can share all your festivities to your socials.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>A Final Helping: Pass the Cybersecurity Around<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thanksgiving is about community and gratitude\u2014so share what you know! Help family members secure their devices, show them how to spot phishing scams, or help them create strong passwords.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This season, let your cybersecurity habits be something you\u2019re truly thankful for.<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Because nothing ruins a holiday like a compromised bank account or a hacked email. <strong>Stay safe, stay full, and enjoy a secure Thanksgiving!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"284\" data-end=\"423\"><p><strong>\u201cFrom our cybersecurity family to yours: may your turkey be juicy, your Wi-Fi be secure, and your inbox free from phishing.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Emily Harris<br \/>\nChief Information Security Officer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 data-start=\"553\" data-end=\"653\">Want to Know More?<\/h2>\n<p>Cyber Security News | <a href=\"https:\/\/cybersecuritynews.com\/black-friday-scams\/\">10 Popular Black Friday Scams \u2013 How to Detect the Red Flags and Protect your wallet and Data<\/a><\/p>\n<p>National Cybersecurity Alliance | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.staysafeonline.org\/articles\/safe-online-holiday-shopping?utm_campaign=25031954-Online%20Holiday%20Shopping%202025&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Xd5JARosclxdyMyiMcxGL0k4KS86OJc5RxX6ZfRwiJBNDPsY-zT4VwP-dfSjwmrc_X54Ct5oG4mRcRjViVLX5lefoww&amp;_hsmi=390301383&amp;utm_content=390301383&amp;utm_source=hs_email\">Safe Online Holiday Shopping<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Coin Law | <a href=\"https:\/\/coinlaw.io\/financial-cybersecurity-statistics-for-black-friday-and-cyber-monday\/\">Financial Cybersecurity Statistics for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025: What the Numbers Reveal<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Forbes | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/zakdoffman\/2025\/11\/09\/google-issues-black-friday-warning-do-not-shop-on-these-websites\/\">Google Issues Black Friday Warning\u2014Do Not Shop On These Websites<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Impact | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.impactmybiz.com\/blog\/blog-why-cybersecurity-vital-black-friday-cyber-monday\/\">Why Cybersecurity Is So Vital for Black Friday and Cyber Monday<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As families gather around the table to give thanks, it\u2019s also a perfect time to reflect on something we often take for granted: the safety of our digital lives. Just as Thanksgiving is about preparation\u2014defrosting the turkey, baking the pies, setting the table\u2014so too should your cybersecurity habits be ready for the season. Here\u2019s how [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":349,"featured_media":624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=569"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1178,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569\/revisions\/1178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}