Summary
While we give plenty of attention to digital threats, we also must consider the threats that can come from physical items in our home. Many of the devices in your home (some of which may have no technology at all) can be a security threat. Here are five of those items.
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We have to worry about all kinds of digital threats, but physical devices can also threaten our security. We know to secure phones and laptops, but many other devices, some of which have no technology at all, can also be unsafe for us. Here are five everyday devices that can compromise our personal data.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
First, your trash can expose your data if you aren’t careful. Don’t put any documents with personal data directly into the trash.
Second, a home security sign can stop the casual burglar from breaking in, but it can also provide information to a more experienced criminal. Announcing the brand of the home security product you’re using gives someone time to figure out how to bypass it before they break in.
Third, your social media accounts can provide critical details about you. If a criminal wants access to your accounts or wants to break into your home, your social media could give away the answers to your security questions or let people know when you’re not home.
Fourth, even cardboard boxes can compromise your security if you’re not careful. Did you just get the latest and greatest TV? Putting that box out for the trash announces what you got to anyone who drives by.
And fifth, your printer can also compromise your security. You probably think of your printer as a dumb device that just spits ink on paper, but most printers have memory chips and programming on board. If you’ve recently printed a credit card statement or a tax return, that data could still be saved on the printer.