In the very first days that the Russia-Ukraine war started, I warned you about 10 Russia-Ukraine cons to expect. We’re already seeing evidence of those scams in action. Be sure you’re keeping your digital guard up.
Smishing — the insider term for scam texts — is a popular route. Most people are less guarded scanning texts than emails.
Misinformation and misleading posts are slamming social media, too.
As sanctions increase and Russia’s tactics intensify, it’s easy to think that you will not be affected aside from high gas prices. This idea is exactly what will get you into trouble — time to wake up.
What you need to know
In 2020, Russian hackers invaded several federal government agencies, including the nuclear weapons agency. That’s small potatoes of what could come. A Russian attack on our fiber optic cables or satellites would take down a ton of critical sectors, like internet traffic, banking, GPS, water treatment facilities, power plants, and the power grid.
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Many cybersecurity experts predict large-scale Denial of Service attacks. This attack swamps a website with trillions of pings. The website is so busy answering each ping that it can’t respond to anything else. If this happens, government and private industry could take days or even months to sort out.
Wait, there’s more. Russia could launch phishing and other attacks to plant dangerous malware and ransomware on business and individual computers and networks.
Have a plan in case your internet goes down
Our minds jump to the worst-case scenario in times of distress. Say your internet goes out. Before blaming a large-scale attack, make sure the problem isn’t closer to home.
If your internet is out and you have cell service, you can use your phone as a hotspot. You need to set this ahead of time, so you’re comfortable using it.
Have a plan for no cell service, too
When Michael Jackson died 13 years ago, so many people were calling one another the nation’s mobile phone system became overwhelmed and unusable. Hurricane Sandy flooded lower New York City in 2012. Again, mobile phones were the first service to go.
If America is hit with cyberattacks, expect to lose reliable service. Now is the time to work on your personal plan of what you and your family will do without working smartphones.
Nominate one person in your family (maybe that person is you) to check in regularly. Maybe it’s once a day; perhaps it’s once a week.
If there’s no cell connection, but your internet is working, use your texting app, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or another messaging option to keep in touch. Work out with your family and friends on the chosen platform ahead of time. The last thing you want to discover is a series of panicked WhatsApp messages hours later when you’ve been trying to communicate via Facebook Messenger.
Know that texting will often work even when cellular lines are jammed.
Find alternative charging methods
Full disclosure: I have a backup generator at my home. At first, I thought it was a complete waste of money. Now that the generator has automatically kicked in a few times when the power goes out, I am happy that I made the investment.
Generators aren’t the only way to go. We recently reviewed a solar option at Komando.com that can power up to 85% of appliances. It’s expensive but powerful for longer-term needs.
Alternatively, power banks are an affordable way to recharge your devices. Most power banks will hold a charge for a few months. This power bank from Anker has enough juice to charge two phones, and it’s around $20. This option is beefy enough to charge a laptop once or an iPhone 11 four times.
Solar-powered chargers work in a pinch. For about $50, one from BLAVOR takes around 13 hours to recharge, then can power up an iPhone up to 4.5 times.
Lockdown your home network
Adjusting router settings can feel intimidating if you’ve never done it before. Start by logging into your router’s administration console. Every router has a different way of doing this; check your manual for specific instructions.
Don’t have a manual? Check the manufacturer’s site or tap or click to visit a site that compiles thousands of user manuals.
You want to look at the DHCP Client List or Attached Devices section. This shows what gadgets are connected to your router, typically listed by IP address, MAC address and/or name.
Figure out which ones belong to you. You should recognize your main computer’s name, and your tablet or smartphone should have the name of the manufacturer or model. If you can’t make sense of the list or identify certain devices, turn off each gadget one by one.
Gloss