Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
One of the most widely used scam on the Internet today is the email phishing scam. The web site GIZMODO.com reported in an a web article from 2015 that that 23 percent of recipients opened phishing messages, and that 11 percent those opened the attachments subjecting them to the threat.
The one behavior that leads to more issues than any other for individuals and businesses alike is people clicking (or otherwise acting) on fake links in emails and web sites that they shouldn’t.
Never click on links in messages from people you don’t know. Or open messages that appear to be to good to be true.
Increase your browser security settings. Type in a trusted URL for a company's site into the address bar of your browser to bypass links in an email or instant message.
Beware of fake websites. These sites may have an address that’s very similar to a legitimate site, but the page can have misspellings, bad grammar or low resolution images.
Check Statements. Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card.
Don’t shop on a site unless it has the “https” and a padlock icon to the left or right of the URL. When shopping online, use a credit card instead of a debit card. A credit card company is more likely to reimburse you for fraudulent charges.
A strong password is: Has 12 Characters, Minimum: Includes Numbers, Symbols, Capital Letters, and Lower-Case Letters.
Use a strong password. Regularly change passwords and don’t use the same passwords for critical accounts. For more tips on how to create strong passwords, go to http://passwordday.org/
An estimated 17.6 million persons, or about 7 percent of U.S. residents age 16 or older, were victims of at least one incident of identity theft in 2016 according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Back up all of your data on your computer, smartphone and tablet in the event of loss, theft or a crash. Also, routinely check your various financial statements for questionable activity.
Most routers today can give you detailed reports that show which devices accessed the Internet, what websites were visited, when they were connected and when they logged off.
Protect your network by changing your router’s default settings and making sure you have the connection password-protected.
Firewall: a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.
A firewall is a great line of defense against cyber-attacks. Most operating systems come with a firewall built in. Spend some time to read about the particular opperating system defenses you have
WIN 10 update: Select the Start Start symbol button, then select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update
Make sure your opperating system is uo to date. Use the manufacturer’s latest security patches to make regular updates and make sure that you have the software set to do routine scans.
Stay up to date of the latest consumer and mobile security threats
Know the threats so you wont be a victim to cyber attacks or identify theft. The University of Chicago publishes a current list of threats here: https://itservices.uchicago.edu/page/latest-email-scams
Online Security practices are up to you to ensure a safe and secure experience. Watch your email senders. Always check web sites to make sure they are the correct versions. Always double check web sites that you are putting your financial information or personal information to.