Cybercrime is getting to be big business for crooks. They’re finding new ways to rip people off misusing the internet.
It could be through your email, or phishing for your passwords so they can empty your bank account, or worse yet, stealing your identity.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. If you want to protect yourself from being open to a cyber-attack, then you need to do a few simple things to make it happen.
In this article, we will show you 4 things you can do to protect yourself from cyber-attacks.
Unless you trust the sender implicitly, you should avoid being quick to click on links in your messages.
You can check the web address in the link by holding your mouse pointer over the link, and in the lower left corner of your window you will see exactly where that link will take you if you click on it.
Another safety net involves going directly to the site in question. For example, if you get a bank notice in the email, and you’re not sure if it’s legitimate, go to your bank’s site directly and verify that the bank actually sent the notice.
Attachments can be a red flag too, if the attachments are actually emails. The only emails you should see are from places you have personally authorized – and they’re not attachments.
Some hackers are very clever at disguising themselves as a legitimate agent. They ask for sensitive personal info, to use it to commit some fraud against you, such as your credit card number.
They might pretend that their “system went down” and they “need” the info to bring things back in order.
Never give out your personal info, whether on the phone or in your emails, unless you are absolutely sure you’re dealing with someone legitimate. But never make a practice of this, to prevent you from getting caught off guard.
If you suspect the caller, don’t be intimidated. This is your opportunity to take control. You grill them with questions. Ask for their name and call back number.
It won’t take long and they’ll be hanging up without incident. Sometimes asking to speak to their “supervisor” is enough for them to shut it down.
In the case of fraudulent emails, forward them to the FBI. Make sure you send it to the right email. You probably won’t see the hacker’s feeble attempts in your inbox ever again.
You want to remember your password, but don’t make it so easy that a crook can figure it out. Use words or phrases that only you know, and include a combination of symbols and letters, in both upper and lower case. This will help build an impenetrable password that is likely to make even the best hacker to give up.
If you’re afraid that you won’t be able to remember it, there’s a way around that. Practice typing it when you’re not on the internet. The more you type it, the better you’ll recall it.
Also take advantage of the security questions, but choose carefully. For example, it could be easier for hackers to figure out where you went to elementary school, as opposed to the name of your first ever family pet when you were a child. Think in terms of preventing anyone from guessing the answers.
If you’re connected to the internet, this should be quite easy. Most software programs enable you to select automatic updating, so you don’t have to do it manually.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with manually going in and seeing where your settings are, just in case there’s a simple tweak you need to make.
Just be careful not to change settings that need to stay right where they are. Most programs will prompt you, so read anything that pops up if you consider making any changes.
We’ve covered four important things you can do to help protect yourself from cyber-attacks. Beware of email links, guard your personal info, keep your passwords impenetrable and update your security software. For more information about keeping your information and business protected, visit Joshua Spencer.
It could be through your email, or phishing for your passwords so they can empty your bank account, or worse yet, stealing your identity.
In this article, we will show you 4 things you can do to protect yourself from cyber-attacks.
1] Beware of Links In Your Emails
Unless you trust the sender implicitly, you should avoid being quick to click on links in your messages.
You can check the web address in the link by holding your mouse pointer over the link, and in the lower left corner of your window you will see exactly where that link will take you if you click on it.
Another safety net involves going directly to the site in question. For example, if you get a bank notice in the email, and you’re not sure if it’s legitimate, go to your bank’s site directly and verify that the bank actually sent the notice.
Attachments can be a red flag too, if the attachments are actually emails. The only emails you should see are from places you have personally authorized – and they’re not attachments.
2] Guard Your Personal Info
Some hackers are very clever at disguising themselves as a legitimate agent. They ask for sensitive personal info, to use it to commit some fraud against you, such as your credit card number.
They might pretend that their “system went down” and they “need” the info to bring things back in order.
Never give out your personal info, whether on the phone or in your emails, unless you are absolutely sure you’re dealing with someone legitimate. But never make a practice of this, to prevent you from getting caught off guard.
If you suspect the caller, don’t be intimidated. This is your opportunity to take control. You grill them with questions. Ask for their name and call back number.
It won’t take long and they’ll be hanging up without incident. Sometimes asking to speak to their “supervisor” is enough for them to shut it down.
In the case of fraudulent emails, forward them to the FBI. Make sure you send it to the right email. You probably won’t see the hacker’s feeble attempts in your inbox ever again.
3] Make Your Passwords Difficult to Break
You want to remember your password, but don’t make it so easy that a crook can figure it out. Use words or phrases that only you know, and include a combination of symbols and letters, in both upper and lower case. This will help build an impenetrable password that is likely to make even the best hacker to give up.
If you’re afraid that you won’t be able to remember it, there’s a way around that. Practice typing it when you’re not on the internet. The more you type it, the better you’ll recall it.
Also take advantage of the security questions, but choose carefully. For example, it could be easier for hackers to figure out where you went to elementary school, as opposed to the name of your first ever family pet when you were a child. Think in terms of preventing anyone from guessing the answers.
4] Update Your Security Software
If you’re connected to the internet, this should be quite easy. Most software programs enable you to select automatic updating, so you don’t have to do it manually.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with manually going in and seeing where your settings are, just in case there’s a simple tweak you need to make.
Just be careful not to change settings that need to stay right where they are. Most programs will prompt you, so read anything that pops up if you consider making any changes.
Summary
We’ve covered four important things you can do to help protect yourself from cyber-attacks. Beware of email links, guard your personal info, keep your passwords impenetrable and update your security software. For more information about keeping your information and business protected, visit Joshua Spencer.
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