Pets can make a great addition to the family, bringing positivity and warmth to a household, but the digital devices associated with them could be a different story.

While every fifth pet owner uses some type of digital device to monitor or secure their domestic pet, for 39% of those pet owners, digital devices end up posing a risk to the owner or their household.

If data is being sent and received to and from that device, and it isn't being encrypted in any way, it's not being protected, he said. There's the danger that somebody could actually gather that data and could find out, for example, passwords to that device or another one.

In other words, is every function there one that you need? If it isn't, switch it off because the less that you are using, the smaller the potential scope of anyone outside who could attack you.

Branch Manager

Peggy Claytor

Peggy has been the Branch Manager in our Keysville location since 2001. She has lived in the area most of her life and has watched it grow. She is an expert in insurance exposures for South Side Virginia including Auto, Home, Farm, Mobile home, and Life. She is very knowledgeable and dedicated to providing the best coverage and service to our clients. In her spare time she enjoys camping, going to baseball games, socializing with friends and family, as well as spending time with her grandchildren. She also loves volunteering in the community whereas she is an active member of The Barksdale Cancer Foundation.