Fraudsters can turn your life upside down and getting hacked can take weeks to rectify. Luckily, there are simple ways to stay safe from fraud, and more tools and resources than ever to lock down your identity and become a hacker’s worst nightmare. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month started in 2004 as a collaborate effort between government and industry to work together to build a safer digital world.
We can increase our online safety through four simple actions, and whether at home, work or school, these simple steps make us more secure when connected. Take time to discuss them with family, friends, employees and your community so we can all become safer online!
Simple Steps That Stop Hackers in Their Tracks
Step 1: Update Your Software and Stay Ahead of Hackers
Software and App developers are constantly trying to stay ahead of hackers and close weak spots where they could break in. Installing the latest updates for your software, apps and devices gives you the best security available along with new features and upgrades. You can even set updates to download automatically, or just make a habit of checking what updates are available. Only install updates from a known source, and watch for phishy updates with urgent commands or aggressive language.
Step 2: Spot Phishing Fast and Don’t Get Hooked
You have probably already seen phishing emails, texts or pop ups alerting you that you have won something or need to take urgent action on one of your accounts. You may have gotten a friend request from a fake social media profile. Clicking on these can download malware or steal your personal information, but there are tell-tale signs that give phishers away:
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- An offer that’s too good to be true.
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- Suspiciously urgent or commanding language
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- Poor spelling, grammar or syntax
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- Sender’s email does not match the source
Be skeptical, delete phishy emails, and don’t click on any links, including the unsubscribe or reply button. Remember, Heritage Valley will never contact you asking for personal information like passwords or social security numbers.
A recent online scam called pig butchering left a Virginia man with a loss of $272,000. Hear his story and warnings >
Step 3: Multi-factor Identification is Security Squared
Changing passwords periodically, or using a different password for each account helps you stay a step ahead of fraudsters. But you need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling multi-factor identification offers a higher level of security, often by sending you a single use code to enter after you enter your password and user name. Enable MBA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.
Step 4: Password Managers Give Fraud a Hard Pass
Password Managers are apps or browser plug ins that can generate passwords that are long, unique and complex which can be stored and then auto-filled on each site. Password managers are often included with your browser or computer operating system and have become widely used as data breaches happen more often. Some cybersecurity experts recommend changing your password every three months or 90 days to reduce your risk of exposure to IT security threats. And you should never reuse the same password for multiple accounts. Doing so can create a single point of failure that makes you vulnerable to attacks like credential stuffing. Credential stuffing is when a cybercriminal uses verified login information, like those found on the dark web after a data leak, and tries them on other websites to gain access.
What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked
Contact your bank or credit union right away and report fraud to the payment app or service and ask to reverse the transfer. You can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Awareness Tools Can Be Your Best Protection Against Fraud
You can keep up with the latest cyber security news through our weekly Fraud News & Alerts updates. Each week you will receive an email containing the latest cyber security news, tips and breach notifications.
