Are you Cyber Secure?

In this digital world it is always best practice, according to experts, to follow safe online practices or good “cyber hygiene.” Here are four steps to help your information stay secure. 

1) When available, make use of multifactor authentication, especially for financial services, but also for email and social media. Multifactor authentication makes use of a secondary round of ID checks like Face ID, fingerprint, or a security code sent to your phone.

2) Keep your software up to date, including your antivirus and antimalware programs. Do this for all your devices, not just a desktop or laptop computer. You should also backup your files occasionally, so if something does happen to your computer or device, your information won’t be lost.

3) Use strong, unique passwords, and don’t reuse them on multiple sites. If one password gets exposed in a data breach, you don’t want all your accounts to be vulnerable!

4) Think before you click on any link or attachment, either in your email or while browsing. Most cyberattacks start with a phishing email which, if clicked, leads to your personal information being stolen. Phishing emails often look legitimate, so look closely. Check the sender’s email. If it looks suspicious, report it, delete it, and go through the actual website to log in to your account to see if there’s actually an issue.

Following these guidelines will help protect you in the event of a cyberattack, whether it comes from criminals abroad or closer to home. Practice good cyber hygiene, and stay safe online!