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