4 Things You Can Do To Keep Yourself Cyber Safe

Cyber scams are nothing new. Every day, con artists are looking for the best “marks.”

Think you’re not worth being the target of online predators? Think again!

Hackers don’t need to know how much is in your bank account to want to get into it. Your identity, your financial data, what’s in your email…… it’s all valuable. And cyber criminals will cast as wide a net as possible to get to anyone they can. They’re counting on you thinking you’re not a target.

So how can you reduce the chances of falling for the scams? Learn the signs!

Let’s start with the basics of “cyber hygiene,” easy and common-sense ways to protect yourself online.

• Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager
  
  Strong passwords are critical to protecting data. They are long, random, unique, and include all four-character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create long, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Plus, they make storing passwords and user IDs easy.
  
  
• Turn on Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
  
  You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable multifactor authentication on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts and use authentication apps or hardware tokens for added security. Learn more about multifactor authentication.
  
  
• Recognize & Report Phishing
  
  Phishing emails, texts, and calls are the number one way data gets compromised. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and don’t click on links or open attachments sent from unknown sources. Verify the authenticity of requests by contacting the individual or organization through a trusted channel. Report phishing attempts to the appropriate authorities or IT department. Learn to recognize the signs of phishing and report these incidents to protect data and devices.
  
  
• Update Your Software
  
  Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.