Cyber

Winston’s Okay, Slightly Better, Technically Safer, Really Not So Bad Day

July 29, 2019

Written by Emily Lacey • Illustrated by Kris Black

(click center of image to read)

Winston wakes up following a very bad day where he made lots of unsafe decisions online, determined to do better.

Remembering he needs to update the software on his computer, he starts that process before getting ready for work.

While packing his briefcase, he makes sure to grab his aunt's death certificate to mail copies to her creditors and other accounts, hoping to make it harder for thieves to steal her identity.

When he gets to work, he sees a text alert from his bank warning him of potential fraudulent charges on his account.

Hoping to keep his personal financial information secure, Winston opens a different browser to keep his work separate from his finances, then logs into his bank account to check recent charges.

Noticing suspicious spending, Winston freezes his card and speaks to a representative to identify fraudulent charges.

While on a break, Winston's co-worker asks how many steps he's logged on his fitness tracker. Winston shows that he has turned off the Bluetooth, keeping his personal data safer from prying eyes.

Getting a text recommendation from a friend, Winston downloads an app but is worried when it asks for permission to use the microphone.

Deleting the app, Winston gets ready to leave work, but when he remembers the phishing link he clicked on yesterday, he backs up his data before leaving.

Getting home, Winston is excited to finally set up a new smart TV, but pauses when it asks to record what he watches. He clicks "no."

As he settles into bed, Winston takes some time to look through his app permissions before picking up where he left off in his book.

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