Security tips for the connected family

With more than half of families purchasing electronics this back-to-school shopping season, students are using more technology than ever to make the grade.

As summer comes to an end and your student prepares for the school year, here are some back-to-school tech tips from Carbonite that take less than 10 minutes, but can save your family hours and dollars down the road:

Cloud backup: Cloud backup may not be on the supply list, but you shouldn’t send your student back to school without it. Backing up to the cloud protects your important files so you can get them back if your computer crashes or is stolen, and it also provides remote access to backed up files when you’re away from your computer.

Virus protection: While back-to-school virus protection generally consists of stocking up on tissues and hand sanitizer, the threat of computer viruses shouldn’t be ignored. Millions of computer viruses can allow someone to access your data, collect billing information, or take control of your computer, and can also slow down your computer and interfere with your programs.

Password protocol: Today’s youth are more connected than ever – 78 percent have cell phones, nearly one quarter have their own tablet, and more than nine in 10 teenagers have a computer or access to one. With many schools relaxing their technology policies to allow students to bring devices to school, it’s important to make sure students implement security measures like passwords to make sure that your family’s data doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

Mobile data usage: Nearly three in four teens say they access the internet from their phones, tablets and other mobile devices. While on-the-go internet allows students to remotely access files, quickly look up a fact for a history paper and connect with peers, data usage fees can be expensive. Review your family’s cellular data plan to ensure your package fits your needs, and ask your family to use Wi-Fi to connect whenever possible to avoid overage fees.