October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Security Basics for Your Home, Car, and Rental

A practical guide from Kelly Glass Insurance: Focusing on You

When most people think about protecting what matters, they picture a locked front door, a smoke detector, or a car parked in the garage. Today, many of the biggest risks to your home, your vehicle, and your finances come through a screen. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and at Kelly Glass Insurance in Lebanon, PA, we're taking the opportunity to help our neighbors across Pennsylvania and Maryland protect their digital lives as carefully as their physical ones.

Why Cybersecurity Matters to Insurance Customers

Your home is full of connected devices: smart thermostats, doorbell cameras, smart locks, TVs, and the Wi-Fi router that ties them all together. Many newer cars have apps, keyless entry, and built-in internet connections. And whether you own or rent, your bank accounts, personal records, and insurance information are online.

A single weak password or a convincing scam email can lead to stolen identities, drained accounts, or even a burglar who knows exactly when you're away. The good news is that a few simple habits go a long way, and for the risks you can't fully prevent, identity theft insurance can be added right to your homeowners or renters policy.

Security Basics Everyone Should Follow

1. Use strong, unique passwords. Make each password long (at least 12 characters) and never reuse it across accounts. A password manager can remember them for you.
2. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). Adding a code from your phone or an authenticator app stops most account takeovers, even if a password leaks.
3. Keep software updated. Install updates for your phone, computer, apps, router, and smart devices promptly. Updates often fix security holes criminals are already using.
4. Think before you click. Be wary of unexpected emails, texts, or calls that pressure you to act fast, click a link, or share personal information. When in doubt, contact the company directly using a number you know is real.
5. Secure your home Wi-Fi. Change the router's default name and admin password, use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption, and set up a separate guest network for visitors and smart devices.
6. Back up your important files. Keep copies of photos, documents, and records on an external drive or a secure cloud service so a ransomware attack or failed device doesn't mean losing everything.
7. Be careful on public Wi-Fi. Avoid banking or entering passwords on coffee shop or hotel networks, or use your phone's hotspot or a trusted VPN instead.
8. Guard what you share on social media. Posting vacation photos in real time tells the world your home is empty. Share the memories after you're back.

Tips for Homeowners

• Lock down smart home devices. Change default passwords on cameras, doorbells, locks, and thermostats, and enable MFA on their apps.
• Keep a home inventory, and store it securely. A digital inventory of your belongings makes claims easier, but keep it in a protected, backed-up location.
• Watch out for storm-chaser and contractor scams. After bad weather, fraudsters may pose as contractors or adjusters by email and text. Verify anyone before sharing your policy details.

Tips for Auto Owners

• Protect your key fob. Thieves can use relay devices to capture a keyless fob's signal from inside your house. Store fobs away from doors and windows or in a signal-blocking pouch.
• Secure your car's app. Use a strong password and MFA on any app that can unlock, locate, or start your vehicle.
• Clear your data before selling or returning a car. Delete paired phones, saved addresses (including "Home"), and garage door codes from the infotainment system.
• Don't leave your registration and insurance card as a roadmap. Keep documents that show your home address secure, and never leave a garage door opener visible in a parked car.

Tips for Renters

• Don't rely on a shared network. If your building offers shared Wi-Fi, set up your own router or use extra protection for sensitive accounts.
• Be cautious with rental listings and payments. Rental scams are common. Never wire money or pay with gift cards, and confirm landlords and property managers through official channels.
• Protect your personal documents. Shred mail with account numbers and keep important papers in a secure place, especially if you share a unit or common mailroom.
• Add identity theft coverage to your renters policy. Renters insurance already protects your belongings; adding identity theft coverage extends that protection to your name and credit, often for a small additional cost.

Watch Out for Insurance Scams

Criminals sometimes pretend to be insurance companies or agents, sending texts or emails about a "missed payment," "policy cancellation," or "refund." If something seems off, don't click. Call your agent directly. At Kelly Glass Insurance, we're always happy to confirm whether a message really came from us.

Add Identity Theft Protection to Your Policy

Even careful people can have their information exposed in a data breach at a store, hospital, or bank they trust. When that happens, the cleanup can take months: disputing charges, restoring credit, filing reports, and taking time off work to sort it all out.

That's why identity theft insurance can be added to your homeowners or renters policy. It's an easy way to extend the protection you already have for your home and belongings to your identity and finances. Depending on the policy, this coverage can help with expenses such as:

• Costs of restoring your identity and correcting credit records
• Lost wages from time taken off work to resolve the problem
• Notary, postage, and filing fees
• Legal costs related to clearing your name

Ask us how identity theft coverage can be added to your current homeowners or renters policy, and we'll walk you through the options and costs. We're also glad to review your auto policy while we're at it.

Kelly Glass Insurance: Focusing on You

Based in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Kelly Glass Insurance proudly serves homeowners, drivers, and renters throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take a few minutes to update your passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, and check your home network. Then reach out to our Lebanon, PA office to add identity theft protection to your homeowners or renters policy and make sure your coverage is keeping up with the way you live today.

Stay safe online, and remember: we're always Focusing on You.