The NFL today issued warnings about a series of home invasions targeting professional athletes, including NFL and NBA players. Here’s what athletes should know.
The NFL today issued warnings about a series of home invasions targeting professional athletes, including NFL and NBA players. (https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-issues-security-alert-to-teams-regarding-recent-home-burglaries)
While the primary focus has been on physical break-ins, it should be noted that there are significant cyber risks associated with these incidents that athletes need to be aware of:
Social Media Exploitation
Criminals are exploiting athletes' social media presence to gather information and plan their attacks. The cyber risks include:
Real-time location tracking: Posting current activities or check-ins can alert burglars to when homes are empty.
Wealth display: Sharing images of expensive items like jewelry or watches can make athletes more attractive targets.
Digital Surveillance
The organized groups behind these burglaries are using sophisticated digital methods to gather intelligence:
Drones: Used for aerial surveillance of properties.
Signal jammers: Employed to disrupt security systems and communications.
Wi-Fi disruptors: Potentially used to interfere with home networks and security cameras
Public Records and Online Information
Criminals are leveraging publicly available digital information:
Property records: Online databases are being used to identify athletes' home addresses.
Team schedules: Publicly available game schedules are exploited to determine when athletes will be away.
Recommendations for Cybersecurity
To mitigate these cyber risks, athletes should:
Engage a professional to clean up your digital footprint,
Limit social media sharing: Avoid posting real-time activities or locations.
Enhance home network security: Use strong encryption and regularly update passwords.
Cyberattacks can compromise home security and video surveillance systems. To protect against cyberattacks on physical security systems, implement “whole home” cyber protection.
Install cyber-secured home security systems with cameras, sensors, and outdoor lighting that are resistant to jamming.
Be cautious with public Wi-Fi: Avoid accessing sensitive information on unsecured networks.
Use privacy settings: Restrict access to personal information on social media platforms.
Employ professional cybersecurity services: Consider hiring Trusted Internet to secure digital assets and monitor for potential threats.
Trusted Internet provides crucial and emergency cybersecurity protection for professional athletes facing increased risks of home invasions and digital threats. Our 24/7 monitoring services can safeguard athletes' home networks, detecting and mitigating potential breaches before they escalate. By implementing advanced endpoint and network detection systems, Trusted Internet can protect athletes' personal devices and smart home systems from malware and unauthorized access that may be used to monitor, manipulate, or jam home security systems.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at staysafeonline@trustedinternet.io.