Every day, Americans are attacked by cyber criminals. Multiple times a week, I receive suspicious emails trying to trick me into disclosing sensitive information. Sometimes these emails thank me for a purchase I did not make or say there was a problem with my credit card or Amazon account. Sometimes they supposedly come from a bank that I do not have a business relationship with.
During tax season, many people may receive an email reportedly from the IRS. They do not communicate with tax payers by this method. In most cases, neither will your bank. These phony emails are trying to do one of several things. One is to try and get you to disclose personal information by answering their request. These can look very professional and look authentic. Often the email you’ re asked to respond too are generic such as a gmail address. Big companies will not use these.
Sometimes the criminals try to plant a virus on your computer to mine for information such as bank account, credit cards, passwords and other sensitive information. Yet another goal of these thieves might be to plant ransomware on your computer. This allows the criminal to freeze your computer and make you pay a ransom to unfreeze it. This is often done by getting you to click on links and attachments in the email. You should back up your computer either on an external hard drive or in the cloud to help protect your information. You should also install good anti-virus software on your devices.
The beginning of the year is a great time to make sure your cybersecurity is in check. It is good to review certain aspects of your cybersecurity every year to ensure your security. Strong passwords are an important line of defense against hackers. Take some time to review all your key passwords for email, banking, social media, and other important accounts. Make sure they are long and complex with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid easy-to-guess passwords based on names or birthdays. We recommend using a password manager to store unique passwords for each account. You should also enable two-factor authentication where available for an extra layer of security.
Maintaining current software and operating systems is critical for strong cybersecurity. Set your devices and applications to automatically install major updates. These often contain vital security patches to fix newly discovered vulnerabilities. Check that your computers, phones, apps and internet-connected devices are running the latest versions. If you have older devices that are past their support lifecycle, it’s safest to retire them. Outdated software is prone to unpatched flaws that criminals can exploit.
Get a free copy of your report annually from the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and check for any suspicious activity. Look for accounts you don’t recognize, address changes you didn’t authorize, or credit checks from companies you haven’t applied to. Dispute any errors you find and report anything suspicious to the credit bureau and authorities. If you have not already, freeze your credit report at the three major bureaus. Freezing your credit will make it more difficult for a thief to open a new credit in your name.
Making cybersecurity a regular habit is the best way to protect yourself online. Start with these simple audits of your passwords, software and credit reports. Being proactive about security makes you a harder target for online criminals.