5 Must-See Music Festivals in San Antonio and Cyber Safety Tips

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April 12, 2023

It’s an exciting time to be a music lover in San Antonio, Texas. In 2022, the city saw a major surge in new music festivals and venues. That means 2023 is sure to be a great year for live music. It’s certainly worth discussing the best San Antonio music festivals this year.

A surge in new events will inevitably cause a surge in crowds. More people will always lead to more security concerns. It’s simply a matter of statistics. The more people gather in one area the higher the chance that one of them has malicious intentions.

Security concerns aren’t just physical. 60% of corporate cybersecurity breaches are initiated on someone’s mobile phone. Therefore, crowded spaces, like big music festivals, pose cybersecurity risks both to you and your employer.

That doesn’t mean you should be afraid to attend any music festivals in San Antonio this weekend. It means you need to be cyber-smart while you enjoy the music and the atmosphere. This article will look at 5 San Antonio music festivals and give you some cyber tips to stay safe.

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1. Maverick Music Festival

Maverick Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in late spring. The festival features a wide range of musical genres, including rock, indie, country, and hip-hop. Each year, attendees can catch the event at La Villita Historic Arts Village in downtown San Antonio.

La Villita Historic Arts Village is a beautiful location. Understandably, you may want to share photos over social media. Be careful about what you share on social media. Cybercriminals can use your accounts to collect data and spread false information.

Additionally, if they gather enough identifying information, they can impersonate you to enter your company’s network. If this happens, a swift disaster recovery plan is crucial. IT outsourcing companies can help you create this plan.

 

2. Botanica Music Festival

Botanica Music Festival is a one-day event that occurs at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It usually takes place in March.  There is a diverse range of genres, including rock, hip-hop, and electronic music in this festival in San Antonio.

There are surprising ways that a hacker can passively intercept your phone. Bluejacking is when a person sends unsolicited messages or files to a nearby Bluetooth-enabled device.

To stay safe from bluejacking, turn off your Bluetooth and avoid accepting messages or files from unknown sources.

Music Festivals in San Antonio

 

3. Fredstock

Fredstock is an early summer music festival in San Antonio that occurs near the end of April. It’s a free-to-attend event hosted by San Antonio College’s Music Business Program. The festival features 6 bands, food trucks, a beer booth, and local vendors.

Fredstock stands out for being entirely student-led. Its purpose is to give music business students practical experience hosting such events. Therefore, it’s a gateway into what the future has in store for San Antonio music festivals.

A free, student-run event seems like a safe place. In a safe place, people are more likely to leave their phone unguarded which leaves it vulnerable to pocket scanners. Never assume cybersecurity in a public area. Always keep your phone secure and never leave it unattended.

 

4. Thirsty Horse Saloon’s Country and Rock Music Awards

The Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon is a country-western music bar that focuses on promoting up-and-coming talent. Every April, the club hosts their music awards festival to showcase patron favorites chosen by a public vote.

Many bars and clubs have free public Wi-Fi access. This is convenient but poses security risks. Never trust someone who offers free Wi-Fi access if they aren’t official staff. Hackers use rogue Wi-Fi hotspots to monitor your sessions and collect data or install malware.

These hotspots can be very convincing. “Evil Twin” attacks occur when that rogue hotspot has the same SSID (network name) as a legitimate hotspot in the area. Talk to a staff member if you see two connections with the same name.

*Tip: Consult a managed network security provider about how you can prevent dubious traffic from mobile devices from infiltrating your corporate network.

 

5. Tejano Conjunto Festival

The Tejano Conjunto Festival is one of San Antonio’s longest running music festivals. It takes place over the course of a week at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. The event is a celebration of conjunto music and Tejano culture.

As a cultural festival, the event features more than just music. Attendees can also enjoy food and drink vendors, dance lessons, and other cultural activities.

If you’re attending all week, there’s a higher chance that you could forget your phone somewhere. Hackers can gather a lot of information from a stolen phone. Use a strong passcode, 2-factor authentication, and encrypt sensitive information to prevent this type of data theft.

 

Stay Even Safer with Help From a San Antonio Cybersecurity Firm

Whether you’re attending a festival for a day, weekend, or week, it’s important to secure your San Antonio electronics at music festivals. Yet, everyone who works at your organization must follow the same cybersecurity guidelines to maintain security.

That’s why you can benefit from professional cyber awareness training. Integris offers San Antonio businesses a cybersecurity solution that includes employee training. We’re dedicated to keeping your company safe no matter where your employees go.

Along with cybersecurity, you can trust us for:

Request a free consultation to find out how our services can help you.

We're Integris. We're always working to empower people through technology.

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