Cybercrime experts often tell consumers to upgrade their technology to protect themselves from credit and debit card fraud, identity theft and other financial scams. But is upgrading your hardware and software really necessary? Yes, says Shirley Inscoe, senior analyst at Aite Group, a research, consulting and analytics firm in Boston. “Consumers who use old devices may feel they are saving money, but at what cost?” Inscoe asks. “For all consumers who shop or bank online, security should be top of mind. In most cases, newer technology will provide highly improved security.”.
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Having up-to-date hardware and software makes it more difficult — although not impossible — for the bad guys to get your data. Inscoe says she “wouldn’t dare” bank or shop online with an old computer. For those who can’t or won’t update, it might be best to “go old school,” says Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based nonprofit that offers recovery assistance and educates consumers about fraud and identify theft. That could mean visiting a bank branch in person or getting account statements through the mail, for example.
If you think your personal data has been compromised, keep an eye on your credit report for signs of unauthorized credit lines. Check your report for free at. When old is good To be fair, some very old technology isn’t likely to be compromised because it can’t access the Internet. Flip phones that predate the smartphone era are one example.
“Those are safe,” Inscoe says, “because you can’t do anything with them.” And “60 minutes” reported in 2014 that U.S. Air Force nuclear silos still rely on Cold War-era computers that use 8-inch floppy disks to help manage, among other things, the launch codes the president would use to authorize an attack. Installed under parallels desktop for mac. More On Technology Security: • • • Why software matters But protection on newer computers and mobile devices is usually only as good as the latest security software release. That’s why “it’s important that consumers take advantage of updates as soon as they’re available, particularly if they shop or bank online,” Inscoe says. “This is a bit more difficult for Android users currently, which is why 95% of mobile malware is directed at Android devices.” That’s a scary percentage — and some reports have put the figure even closer to 100% — but that doesn’t mean your Samsung phone is going to get hacked. In fact, a found that each week an average of just 0.03% of mobile devices on its network “were infected with ‘higher-grade’ malicious code.” That malware is the kind used to steal your financial data. Verizon says our mobile devices aren’t hack-proof; the bad guys just have their sights set elsewhere — at least today.
No updates for old hardware One reason older devices pose a risk is that manufacturers tend to phase out their technical support over time. As a result, security upgrades cease on those devices. For example, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 8, is compatible on the iPhone 4s or newer models. That means any iPhone sold before October 2011 is stuck with older operating systems. The update also is unavailable on older versions of the iPad.
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App alert Apps, whether old or new, can be trouble. Don’t assume just because you downloaded it from a legitimate site — Google Play, for example — that it’s free of malware. Computer security company Norton says that because of the volume of apps available, it’s impossible to police them all. “Some of the popular games are the worst,” Inscoe says. “People download a free game and guess what? You got a hidden bonanza that you don’t even know about.” Rather than download freebies, consumers should pay a few dollars to buy safe, legitimate apps.
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