Protecting Yourself Against Cyber Threats

Protecting Yourself Against Cyber Threats

Data Breaches of some kind are in the media almost daily now.

We hear of large Fortune 500 companies being hacked with millions of their customers information having been breached. Hospitals, Hotels, Retail Stores, even our Federal Government have all been victims of data breaches.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that it takes on average 400 hours of your
time to correct a single identity theft.

What can we do to protect ourselves?

Below are 6 Tips to help protect yourself and your business when shopping online:

1. Passwords – be sure you are using strong passwords. Different passwords for each account and use numbers and symbols when allowed. Avoid using family member names and or dates of births as a part of your password for ease at
   remembering them.
2. VPN (Virtual Private Network) – These can protect you when using personal
   devices on public WIFI. Most public WIFI is unencrypted and unsecured
   which makes users vulnerable to “man in the middle” (MITM) attacks. VPNs
   create a “secure tunnel” where data is sent over a WIFI connection that is now
   encrypted. These can be purchased via many mobile device carrier plans and
   can be used to protect multiple devices.
3. Best Judgement/Instinct – Use good judgement and trust your gut to avoid
   possible phishing attempts via email and texts. Avoid clicking on ads via text
   that promise hard-to-believe deals. Avoid opening attachments and clicking
   links in email unless they are from a very reliable and known source. If the
   email seems out of character, pick up the phone and call the sender of the
   email to verify the email is legit.
4. Website Privacy Policy – Be aware of how much personal private information you
   are giving out and who you are giving it to. Review a sites privacy policies prior
   to revealing information.
5. HTTPS vs HTTP – check to be sure the IP address Wis HTTPS prior to entering any credit card or private information. HTTPS indicates that your session is secure and that the site you are on is using encryption to protect your personal data.
6. Purchase Cyber Liability Insurance from Clark-Mortenson.

To learn more about how you can protect yourself, give us a call at 877-352-2121 today!