National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Millions of people fall victim to identity theft every year. Identity theft crimes are rising not falling. In December of 2010, Bob Sullivan at MSNBC's "The Red Tape Chronicles" reports that a new study shows that 1 in 7 people's Social Security number is being used by someone else, too.
One of the ways that identities are stolen is through the Internet. Cyber hackers use a method called phishing. Phishing is a technique used to capture personal information. Phishing is attempted through email a lot of times. The potential victim will receive a link through their email. The links are made to look like a trusted site, such as a bank. Once the link is clicked on it prompts the user to give private information to “verify” identity or “resolve” the issue. As soon as the requested data is entered the hacker has it stored in a database, and can use it at their leisure.
Over the past decade the way we pay bills and access accounts has changed drastically. Think for a moment about the last time you wrote a check, called the bank to check your balance, or went into your local bank branch to make a deposit. For many of us it has been a long time, possibly even years. The majority of Americans take advantage of direct deposit, online payments, mobile applications and bill pay offered by banks. This is the convenient way to pay and it saves a lot of time. On the other hand, it puts our financials and personal information in site of thieves. The reality of it is; if a hacker got your password to your bank account your financial life would be a nightmare. However, for many of us the benefit outweighs the risk of using these technologies.
October is dedicated to make consumers aware of always practicing safe internet use. There is no guarantee that you will not have your identity stolen, although by taking precautionary steps your risk will be greatly reduced. Below are some ways to reduce your exposure to thieves.
- Firewalls should always be on. A firewall provides a layer of protection against hackers. Large companies will usually have firewalls on their computers. With that said, prior to using a company computer, be sure it is secure and that no one can gain access. Numerous companies monitor computer usage so you don’t want your personal information in the wrong person’s hands. It is recommended on personal computers that a software firewall is installed.
- Antivirus Software should be installed and updated. Antivirus software can be purchased or downloaded for a reasonable cost. The purpose of this software is to prevent and detect any suspicious programs from being stored on your computer. A virus can be set up on your computer without you even noticing. The Antivirus software will recognize it and disable it.
- Antispyware can also be purchased or downloaded from a trusted site for a low cost. This will prohibit anyone from putting software on your computer to “spy” on you. There are many “spy” programs out there that can record every keystroke and take snap shots of the screens visited. The Antispyware programs will locate the spyware programs and stop it from being installed.
- Be wary of downloads. Do not download an email attachment that did not come from a trusted contact. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know. Some of your acquaintances may have had their accounts hacked, as a result if you receive a suspicious email from a trusted individual speak with that person prior to opening to be sure they personally sent it.
- Refrain from answering any personal questions (social security number, birthday, mother’s maiden name, etc.) through email or on the Internet.
- Abstain from writing down your password, or sharing with anyone.
- Use a strong password to log into sites and turn on your computer.
- Be vigilant while connected to public Wi-Fi access. It could be compromised. It is recommended not to access any personal sites unless you are on your private wireless connection.
