April 2025 Newsletter
For the last 25 years and into the future, our primary goal at All Safe Technologies will be to provide systems and services intended to protect lives and property through the early detection of potentially life-threatening situations.
Although our focus is on keeping you, family and business safe using the means of electronic systems, we are aware there is an absolute parallel between security and your privacy. Cyber threats are a growing concern that many of us have already experienced. With today's ability to connect to just about anything from anywhere and using multiple devices to do it, we must ask ourselves how much personal information is floating around out there in virtual space. The short answer is a lot! The ability to gather data is nothing new, but the means in which to collect and consolidate it for useful purposes is a considerable and growing security risk.
I recently read an article discussing Smart TVs and how they can be priced so low. It went on to say they can be priced that way because the device is collecting data about the user, which then gets sold. According to this article, the registration process provides authorization to do so.
Well, I took this information with a grain of salt. Ironically a short time there-after, I was watching my favorite TV show and suddenly a pop-up message appeared in the middle of my TV screen (see below). At first, I was shocked as I've never seen a message from my TV. Then, with my newfound knowledge I was determined to figure out a way to make it go away without clicking the "ok" button. This takes the whole concept of commercials trying to get you to buy their product and turns the table on us.
We really are the product!
I promise, I'm not obsessed over privacy and it's no surprise my browsing history gets captured so advertisements that are "customized to my interests" can try and get me to buy something. I've also been one of the lucky recipients of 3 different notifications over the past 2 years where my personal information now resides on the dark web due to data breaches of large organizations. With phishing emails trying to trick us into a scam, malware attacks, computer hacks and now our TVs, what's to do to protect us from these types of invasions?
We can either disconnect from all technologies or simply stay informed on these very creative ways that privacy breaches occur or put safeguards in place to mitigate the level of damage based on what's important to you. Here's just a few ideas.
- Secure your network by utilizing strong passwords, dual factor authentication, VPN's and network monitoring. Most internet service providers offer services allowing you to monitor access.
- Freezing your credit at the 3 major credit agencies. A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, allows you to limit access to your individual credit report. By freezing your credit, it makes it more difficult for an identity thief to open a new credit account or loan in your name. Freezing your credit involves contacting the credit bureaus online, by phone, or by mail to lock down your information for free. You can unfreeze easily and at will.
- Consider credit monitoring services that provide regular reports based on dark web searches that may include your social security number and more.
As for your tv spying on you, well I guess we'll either need turn them off or keep them on for your pets to watch.
Thank you for choosing All Safe Technologies as your security and life safety systems provider, we take this responsibility seriously and will do all possible to maintain your trust. As always, I'm just a call away at 228-575-9550, or stop by and see us at our office. We value your opinion and would love to see or hear from you.
Be Safe with All Safe,
Alain Jamet, Vice President
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