Cybersecurity risks have grown just as rapidly as technology has and online scam artists are always finding new ways to lower your defenses. Ramping up your cybersecurity awareness means learning how to stay safe online, and it’s one of the best ways to keep your personal information (and money) safe from scammers. Here are 12 tips to help you form cyber-safe online habits.
Don’t share any personal information through a device—not even to someone you think you know. Period. Scammers won’t just impersonate strangers. In fact, scammers often send emails or other messages impersonating a person or a company in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Be wary of online requests for money or private information. It’s never a good idea to give out details about your personal identity online. Even if you know the person and they actually are who they say they are, who’s to say their account won’t get hacked and your information stolen?
Never log on to sensitive sites on a public network. One of the easiest ways to ensure your safety on the internet is to refrain from checking highly sensitive information while out in public or on a public server.
Domain Scam. Sometimes scammers will create a false website and disguise the actual site’s domain to redirect you and coerce you into divulging sensitive data, such as login credentials or financial information.
Look for a padlock symbol in front of the site’s URL. But remember that this alone isn’t good enough to prove the authenticity of a site—scammers can still include this symbol to fool people into believing the site is authentic.
Be wary of any online stores with too-good-to-be-true deals. Always do your research before your click - a deal that’s too good to be true probably is not. A scammer can hack into your account and take control of your profile.
Avoid remaining on sites that contain consistent pop-ups. Aggressive pop-ups can be malicious and infect your device.
Don’t leave Bluetooth enabled on your device. Leaving bluetooth running on your device may leave it vulnerable to hacks, abuse, or privacy violations. Change bluetooth settings to “Not Discoverable.”
Keep your antivirus software up-to-date. Updating your antivirus software gives it a run-down of the latest, most common threats.
Don’t reuse passwords. Reusing passwords means that if one account gets hacked, others may be too. That turns what could be a small problem into an exponentially larger one.
Use multi-factor authentication. It might be a bit annoying to get a text or answer a question every time you try to login, but it will keep your accounts much more secure than a simple password.
Backup files so that they aren’t lost if an attack occurs. Backups may protect against human errors, hardware failure, virus attacks, power failure, and natural disasters.
Disclaimer
Clinton Savings Bank is not a financial advisor. Please consult with a licensed professional who can provide advice tailored to your individual circumstances. While we hope you find this content useful, it is only intended to serve as a starting point. Your next step is to speak with a qualified, licensed professional who can provide advice tailored to your individual circumstances. Nothing in this article, nor in any associated resources, should be construed as financial or legal advice. Furthermore, while we have made good faith efforts to ensure that the information presented was correct as of the date the content was prepared. CSB disclaims any liability arising from the use or misuse of these materials and, by visiting this site, you agree to release CSB from any such liability. Do not rely upon the information provided in this content when making decisions regarding financial or legal matters without first consulting with a qualified, licensed professional.
