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National Internet Safety Month was created to raise awareness of internet dangers and highlight the need for education about online safety. With the rise of social media and other new technologies, the amount of time people spend online has grown enormously, as have the risks.

No matter how tech savvy you are, cybersecurity should be top of mind anytime you use the internet. If that sounds overwhelming, don’t stress. You don’t need to be an expert. Whether you’re messaging with friends, scrolling on social media, streaming music, watching movies, buying clothes, or paying bills, there are basic cybersecurity rules anyone can follow.

Limit Personal Info Shared Online

Your personal online behaviors are a valuable protection against cyber threats. Limit the personal information you share online. This includes:

• Credit Card and Bank Account Numbers
• Address
• Phone Number
• Other Identifiers

It’s also smart to think twice before posting social media comments with personal thoughts and details about your life. True, hackers can use this information to guess passwords or as part of impersonation schemes, but your public social media posts could also hurt your relationships or career.

Use Social Media Protections

Protect yourself on social media by adjusting your privacy settings and options.

Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.

Don’t link your social media accounts. Anytime you link an account, you’re increasing the visibility of whatever you post across multiple platforms. Personal information that’s available in many places makes you more vulnerable to phishers.

Don’t post personal information that is commonly used for passwords or password security questions, like the name of your elementary school or first pet’s name. Even seemingly harmless facts can help scammers locate you.

Protect Your Passwords

Use strong, unique passwords on every site where you have an account. This is crucial for sites that access confidential personal or financial information.

Too obvious passwords provide no protection. The same goes for reused passwords. If a hacker cracks one account, they’ll try that password for every single account connected to your email address.

You’re not alone if you find it difficult to keep track of all those different password combinations. Try a password manager. A password manager creates, encrypts, and securely stores your passwords in a vault and you can access any of those passwords with a single complex password.

Don’t Click or Open Unfamiliar Links

Scammers are getting more sophisticated with email and text messages, so don’t click any links or open attachments from sources you don’t recognize. They may even send links to websites that look exactly like a website you trust. Look for other telltale signs that a message is a scam.

Incorrect company names or URLs. Scammers often use slightly different spellings or extensions to trick you into thinking they’re legit.

Poor spelling and grammar. Real companies don’t often make typos and do check spelling before sending messages to clients.

Urgent calls to action. Keep an eye out for red flags like “your account is suspended,” reset your account password now,” or other high-pressure calls to action.

Shop Safe Online

Online shopping is common and generally safe. That said, always look for a security padlock symbol to the left of the company’s name in the URL bar. Click this icon to visit the site’s security certificate.

Double-check the URL begins with HTTPS.

Set up custom debit card alerts and get notified when a transaction occurs on your account. Always verify the seller and amount you were charged and confirm it is correct.

Wondering if you are Cyber Safe? Try this Banzai Financial Literacy Coach and find out!

Reference: https://fairmontfcu.banzai.org/wellness/resources/cyber-security

https://www.fairmontfcu.com/_/kcms-doc/163/91561/Fraud-Prevention.pdf