ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Attention tech lovers and luddites alike — the 5th annual Tech Valley Cybersecurity Symposium is coming to the Capital Region October 13, taking place from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

at Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady. LogicalNet is the host and its CEO, Tush Nikollaj, stopped by the studio to share some details about what to expect from the event that attracts business leaders and tech professionals from across the globe. He also shared some thoughts on recent AI issues that have made waves in the media, and pointers for keeping ourselves safe online.

Watch to learn more. Tush's Online Safety Tips: 1.

Treat Smart Devices Like Computers - Smart TVs, refrigerators, cameras, doorbells, thermostats, and appliances can create security risks. Change default passwords and disable features you don’t use. Source: CISA — Securing the Internet of Things 2. Secure Your Home Wi-Fi - Change the router’s default administrator password, use WPA2 or WPA3 security, and consider putting smart devices on a separate guest network. Source: NSA — Best Practices for Securing Your Home Network 3.

Use Unique Passwords + MFA - Never reuse passwords. Use a password manager and enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible. Source: CISA — Require Strong Passwords 4. Keep Everything Updated - Turn on automatic updates for phones, computers, routers, TVs, cameras, appliances, and other smart devices.

Source: FTC — Protect Your Personal Information From Hackers and Scammers 5. Stop Before You Click - Be suspicious of unexpected emails, texts, QR codes, password-reset requests, and urgent messages. Verify before clicking or responding. Source: CISA — Teach Employees to Avoid Phishing 6.

Assume AI Can Fake a Voice or Video - Criminals can use AI to imitate someone you know. If a family member, executive, or friend suddenly asks for money or sensitive information, verify it another way. Source: FTC — Fighting Back Against Harmful Voice Cloning 7. Create a Family Verification Word - Establish a simple private word or phrase that family members can use to verify their identity during an emergency call or suspicious request.

Source: FTC — Scammers Use Fake Emergencies to Steal Your Money 8. Don’t Give AI Sensitive Information - Be careful about entering passwords, financial information, medical information, confidential business data, or other sensitive personal information into public AI tools. Source: NIST — Generative AI Risk Management Profile 9. AI Makes Scams More Convincing - Poor grammar is no longer a reliable warning sign. AI can create extremely realistic emails, texts, websites, images, and messages.

Judge the request, not how professional it looks. Source: CISA, NSA, FBI, and MS-ISAC — Preventing Phishing Intrusions 10. Verify Requests Within Existing Email Threads - If an email account is compromised, attackers may monitor legitimate conversations and use AI to add convincing messages to an existing thread with your banker, vendor, attorney, or colleague.

Because the message comes from the correct account and references a real conversation, it may appear completely legitimate. Before acting on any request involving money, banking changes, credentials, or sensitive information, confirm it through a separate, trusted channel (make the phone call!).

Source: FBI — Business Email Compromise.