5 Tips that you should apply:
- Use Anti-Virus Protection and a Firewall- Make sure the AV protection you are using is from a reputable company. Always leave the firewall from Windows or Mac enabled, unless you are using a 3rd party firewall.
- Always keep your software up to date-Microsoft as well as Apple are constantly adding updates to secure your systems.
• Turn on Automatic Updates for your system-Windows/Apple
• Keep your internet browsers up to date
• Always do you 3rd party updates
USE STRONG PASSWORDS- A Must!
3. The password should contain at least one upper case letter, one lowercase letter, one number, and four symbols.
- Snowy3190 (a combination of my dog’s name and the house number from my old home) would take only a millisecond to crack.
- Snowy3190* would take six years to crack — adding a symbol made a big difference.
- Snowy!31*90## would take 34 million years. PERFECT!Once I got to 18 characters, the site reported that my password would take a trillion years to crack.Do not use the same password twice
Change your password every 6 months to a year.
You can also use a Password Manager Tool (Ex: RoboForm, LastPass)
4. Use Two-Factor Authorization or Multi -Factor
This adds a double layer of security -after entering your user name and password, you would be asked for a verification code, set up via an SMS message or Authentication app.
5. Phishing Scams- Suspicious emails, phone calls, newsletters
- Senders try to get you to believe that the email you are opening is real...but it is not.
- Sender want you to click on an attachment, a malicious link, divulge your credentials, so they can infect your system with malware, a trojan, or zero-day vulnerability exploit. This often leads to a ransomware attack. 90% of all ransomware attacks, begin with a phishing scam! USER BEWARE!!!!!
Tips for possible phishing scams:
- Don't open email from someone you don't know
- Know which links are safe and which are not- hover of the link to see where it directs you
- Look at emails as to where it came from (EX: if Chase Bank sent you an email it would not come from someone@ verizon.net)
- Always look for grammatical errors
- Beware that malicious links can also come from someone you know who may have been infected as well, so be extra careful!