Tag: NCSAM

  Cyber Security Tip of the Day For National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM):  Protect online accounts with a different password for each.  Passwords need at least eight characters, letters, numbers and symbols.  Avoid using any part of your name, phone number or birth date. Be careful with email auto-complete. This is an email feature that automatically completes a name for you when you begin typing it in the TO field. However, your email client can easily complete the wrong name for you. If you are emailing anything sensitive, always be sure to check the TO field a second time before hitting the send button. Make sure you have anti-virus software installed on your computer and that it is automatically updating. However, keep in mind that no anti-virus can catch all malware; your computer can still be infected. That is why it’s so important you use common sense and be wary of any messages that seem odd or suspicious. Rogue software or “scareware” is fake antivirus or security software. Bad guys usually try to get you to install it by generating a pop-up window as you surf the web. The “updates” or “alerts” in the pop-up windows call for you to take some sort of action, such as clicking to install the software, accept recommended updates, or remove unwanted viruses or spyware. When you click, the rogue security software downloads to your computer. It takes only a few seconds to secure your computer and to help protect it from unauthorized access. Lock down your computer every time you leave your desk. If you’re using a windows computer, press Ctrl–Alt—Delete before you walk away! On a Mac? Try Control–Shift– Power Banking Trojans can use a malicious webpage to ask you for your cell phone number and then attempt to install a malicious app that can bypasses security systems. Your bank will not distribute apps in this way. It is always recommended that folks download apps from the official app store and never through unknown text messages or websites. Before submitting your credit card number when shopping online, always look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status bar to be sure your information is secure during transmissions and make sure “https” appears in the website’s address bar. The “s” stands for “secure” indicating that communications are encrypted. USB drives, Flash Memory Cards, CD-ROMs, and other external devices can be infected with viruses and malware. Always make sure to scan them using virus scan software before opening files on them, especially if those files were not put on the device by yourself. Email is the gateway to almost every other account a user may have. When someone loses or forgets an account password, the reset is sent to his or her email.  Cyber security experts suggests email users set up multi-factor authentication, which means more than just a password is required for access; a code may be sent via text message that a user must also input for access,​ for example. It’s something … Continue Reading →