We have put together a list of things you can do to help protect yourself from malicious attackers from trying to hack into your systems and steal your vital information. Hackers target businesses and people on a personal level. It is important that you protect all information, whether it be about you personally or the business you work for.
- Turn off your WI-FI and Bluetooth on your devices when they are not in use.
- If your device has webcam, use a post it or a piece of electrical tape to cover the camera when not in use.
- It’s important to install updates on all devices. A system that hasn’t been updated recently has flaws and makes your devices vulnerable.
- Never open emails from unknown sources, you could be opening a virus on your device. If you have an email from an unknown source, the best thing to do is to delete it.
- Use different passcodes for different accounts. This way if someone gets into one account, not all your accounts are affected.
- Always use strong passcodes, security questions and answers. You can read our Tip of the Month from last month to learn more about passcodes.
- Use two-factor authentication if available. This is an extra layer of security that is asked other than your username and passcode.
- Make sure you have anti-virus on your devices and that it is up to date.
- When purchasing online, only shop on secure/known sites. Google the company that you are looking to do business with and look for the padlock in the browser to verify it is a secure site.
- Ignore pop ups that might appear on your screen. If you click on one of them and do not know what it is, you could be opening a virus.
- Always keep your phone, tablet and computer locked with a lock screen when not in use.
- It’s good practice to always log out of programs when you are done in case someone can gain access to your device.
- Do not install software from an unknown site, you could be downloading a Trojan, virus, spyware and/or malware onto your device. Research the software that you would like to download.
- Be cautious about social media and who you share and what you share.
