Cybersecurity Tips for Influencers and Public Figures

Whether it's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or YouTube, as an influencer or public figure it's important to take steps to protect yourself and your online presence from cyber threats. I'm frequently asked for actionable steps that can be taken to secure an online account. Here are some Cybersecurity hygiene tips to help protect your online accounts.

Strong Passwords

This is easily the most under utilised piece of advice and it goes hand in hand with re-used passwords. Use strong and unique passwords for all your accounts. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, if you find this difficult that's because it is, and for good reason. You want your passwords to be un-guessable and complex and that's what makes them hard to remember. It's also why people tend to make one strong password and re-use it (bad idea). Thankfully there's a free solution and that is to use a password manager to store your passwords securely.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Enable 2FA whenever possible, this is also known as multi-factor authentication or MFA. This adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code sent to your phone, email or a specific authenticator app of your choosing when logging in. There's a hot trend as of late which involves heavy criticism of MFA and how it can be bypassed. The fact remains that it's an extra layer of security, not a silver bullet and it requires minimal effort to implement and far more effort to circumvent in an attack.

Phishing

The very nature of an influencer or public figures work involves posting content and personal information publicly whilst being contactable for new opportunities. Be cautious when clicking on any links, particularly in emails and social media messages (DMs) and especially if you did not ask for a link in the first place. Scammers often use fake links to trick people into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware. It's also very common for the link itself to open without any noticeable affect but request login details or payment details to continue. This is a huge red flag and if you are still unsure, contact the service provider separately to confirm if they need your credentials or payment information. If you're interested in learning more about phishing, I investigated a HSE scam text in this post. I am also available to speak to businesses as part of their cybersecurity training & awareness programmes.

Device Updates

Keep your devices and software up to date. This means Laptops, Desktops, Phones and Tablets. Some devices are harder to compromise than others but nothing is completely hack proof. Install the updates as soon as they become available, these often include security fixes even if that's not detailed in the immediate description. It's a very good idea to backup before installing any update (more on backups later).

Public WiFi

Public WiFi (as convenient as it is, especially when travelling) is both a blessing and a curse. Without getting into the technical details of evil twin routers or the privacy implications of your DNS requests being monitored, if you absolutely must use public WiFi then use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which can be as easy as flicking a switch on your device. Using a VPN when accessing public Wi-Fi encrypts your internet connection and can help protect your data from being accessed while in-transit. It is not uncommon for attackers to sit on a laptop in coffee shops sniffing wireless traffic in the hopes of finding login credentials being send in plaintext from those not using a VPN.

Oversharing

Be mindful of what you share online. Avoid sharing sensitive personal information, such as your address or financial information (that new bank card that arrived in the post) and think twice before posting anything that could be used to compromise your security. I'm a huge fan of the #LaterGram which means I tend to post pictures of my activities after they have finished and this serves two purposes. #1 I can enjoy the moment for real and not focus on getting multiple pictures at the right angles and lighting (for some influencers this may take time to get right. #2 It's generally a good idea not to publicly broadcast when you're not home. Unless you have a top spec home security system that captures intruders in humane traps until the authorities arrive, at best you have a loud alarm and 4K cameras, neither of which prevent and theft or damage from the crook who knows you're not home.

Privacy Settings

They're at your disposal! Use privacy settings to control who can see your online activity and personal information. On social media platforms, be sure to review your privacy settings and adjust them to your desired level of visibility. This is understandably a difficult call to make when your following could be linked with your earning potential and endorsement opportunities but it's a risk that's definitely worth considering, especially if you are about to start a family which could change your perception of the risk.

Don't Disable Your Firewall!

This is that thing you most likely disabled to get something working and never re-enabled afterwards, maybe even years later. Primarily found on laptops and desktops (Windows and Macs) it's very easy to enable, it's free and provides you with valuable protection. Put simply, a firewall protects your devices from unauthorised access. A firewall is a security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

Backups

Back up your data regularly. Yes, it's an effort and yes you might not ever need them. But as the saying goes, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it! I've personally learned this lesson the hard way with both my own devices and those from family members who trusted me to fix an issue or transfer their data from an old phone to a new one. This will help protect your important files and documents in case of a cyber attack or other data loss event including those updates I mentioned earlier. It's extremely rare, but some updates cause major problems, most don't and in somewhere in the middle lies the new software bugs that can be introduced that are more of a nuisance to work around until they're fixed. I'll say no more on the matter except to continue not backing up at your own peril!

Social Media Influencer Liability Insurance

Yes, it's a thing! And if you plan on building a customer base this usually involves collecting personal information which then makes you responsible for protecting that information. Consider purchasing social media influencer insurance. This type of insurance can help cover the costs of responding to and recovering from a cyber attack, including legal fees, public relations efforts, ransomware demands, data and system restoration fees, hardware replacement and third-party losses for anyone who's identity was stolen due to a hack of your system or devices. It goes without saying to check what your policy covers and compare that to what you actually need to insure against.

By following these tips, you can help protect yourself and your online presence from cyber threats and maintain the privacy and security of your personal information.

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