Top tips for better cyber security

Learn how to protect yourself and your business from cyber attacks

Tip #1 – Everyone is a target Everyone says “It will never happen to me" but everyone is a target. To you it's personal, but to the hackers it's just business. For your personal and financial well-being, always remember that cyber security is your responsibility

Tip #2 – Phishing

• Beware of suspicious emails and phone calls
• Cyber criminals will attempt to trick you into divulging personal information such as your login ID and password, banking or credit card information.
• Be suspicious of any official-looking email or phone message asking for personal or financial information
• Verify suspicious or unknown emails by calling the person
• Never click on a link in an email asking for personal information
• Beware of malware. Be cautious when downloading unknown software or files

Tip #3 – STRONG Passwords Use at least 10 characters with a combination of alpha, numeric, and symbols, for example 3rV$h@r34+!

• DO NOT write or store your password in plain sight
• DO NOT use the same password for home and office
• DO NOT use the same password twice

Tip #4 – Ransomware Do not provide personal information when answering an email, and if traveling, alert your IT department beforehand. 3 golden rules to follow: 1. Stop, look, think 2. If you spot red flags, verify with the sender 3. When in doubt, throw it out Tip #5 – Protect you Data Data leakage is one of the biggest risks to yourself and your business. It is said that personal data is the new currency of the digital world.

• Financial, payroll and contract information are all highly confidential. Do not share this information!
• Securely remove sensitive data files from your system when they are no longer needed
• Always use encryption when storing or transmitting sensitive data

Tip #6 – Anti-virus Software Your smartphones and your computers should all be equipped with anti-virus software. It’s also of paramount importance to keep these applications updated. If you don’t always have an anti-virus application running on your device, then you are virtually playing with fire. But remember that antivirus software is no substitute for common sense