Cyber Security Tip #14
Using online cloud services to store personal and professional documents is becoming more and more popular. With companies such as Apple and Microsoft now offering individuals up to 1tb of data at a minimal price, more internet users are enjoying the convenience of storing files in a cloud based location for easy access. That easy access can come at a price and as we have seen in recent weeks, with the celebrity iCloud leak, there are still several vulnerabilities in this new technology. Here are some tips to help protect your information on the Cloud: • Be aware of what information you’re providing online. Free isn’t always free. Many “free” services sell information about you like your hobbies, salary, family members, friends, location, profession, purchase and viewing history, to advertisers to make money. • Read websites’ privacy policies and terms of use. Don’t sign up for new cloud services without researching it. • Don’t post information that could be exploited by a bad guy or that you don’t want made public. • Don’t store unencrypted sensitive information in the cloud. You don’t know with whom you’re sharing the cloud! • Enable Two-Step Verification. With two-step verification, it’s necessary for you to input two different pieces of data in order to access your personal information. While it can be frustrating and time-consuming, it saves you from having to clean up the potential mess a hacker could make with your credit card information or private photos stolen from the cloud. #NCSAM