Just as sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UV rays, strong cybersecurity practices protect your data from cyber threats.
Cyber threats don’t take a summer break. Whether you plan to soak up as much summer sun as possible or prefer to head indoors to bask in the A/C, here are three tips for staying secure this summer ’25:
1. Step up your Password Game
One easy win for the summer is to take inventory of your passwords. If you’re using similar passwords across accounts, reusing words or just swapping letters for symbols or adding predictable numbers, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Hackers know that many people use the same or similar passwords across the board, and once they get access to one account, they’ll try the same and similar passwords across other accounts. Creating a unique password for each account makes you a harder target. But, remembering all your passwords is hard, so investing in a password manager is also a great option.
Want more password tips? Check out this article on World Password Day. Whether it’s a national holiday or a regular weekday, these password tips are key for keeping yourself more secure.
2. Use AI More Securely
By this point, your company should’ve had you sign an Acceptable Use Policy regarding AI. But even with the best intentions, the reality is that many employees sign their company’s policy and don’t revisit it for months. It’s easy to forget what is and isn’t allowed when using a company-approved AI platform, so it’s best practice to review the Acceptable Use Policy monthly.
And it’s not just about remembering not to put confidential or proprietary information into an AI platform. It’s about gaining an understanding of where your data is going and how it might be used.
Even for personal use, on platforms such as Gemini and ChatGPT, conducting high-level research can help you understand how your data is used and stored. For example, if you use DeepSeek, your data might be stored in servers in China.
3. Educate Yourself on Evolving Cyber Threats
Staying up-to-date on cyber trends is easier said than done. New cyber tactics are deployed on the daily, and with AI’s ever-growing capabilities, hackers can be more deceiving at a greater velocity than ever before.
The emergence of AI-based attacks allows for advancements to virtually every attack method, from crafting more deceptive phishing emails to creating video and voice deepfakes. There is even new “shape-shifting” malware, powered by AI, which adapts its features to evade detection by traditional security tools. The bottom line is that increased customization and precision of AI-enabled attacks will continue to be a constant threat. While these attacks are growing more advanced, they often rely on the same red flags such as suspicious requests, malicious links and a false sense of urgency.
So, brushing up on key cyber trends and attack methods can help you stay current and stop cyber-attacks before they happen. And while there are many ways to digest cyber news on the go, we recommend the Schneider Downs cybersecurity biweekly newsletter, Focus on Cybersecurity, where we share relevant cyber news stories and information.
Whether you’re setting your out-of-office reply or locking up for a week-long getaway, don’t let your guard down. Cyber threats don’t take vacations, even if you do.
About Schneider Downs Cybersecurity
The Schneider Downs cybersecurity practice consists of experts offering a comprehensive set of information technology security services, including penetration testing, intrusion prevention/detection review, ransomware security, vulnerability assessments and a robust digital forensics and incident response team. In addition, our Digital Forensics and Incident Response teams are available 24x7x365 at 1-800-993-8937 if you suspect or are experiencing a network incident of any kind.
To learn more, visit our dedicated Cybersecurity page.
Want to be in the know? Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, Focus on Cybersecurity.
