DEVICE & NETWORK SECURITY

SECURE YOUR DEVICES

• Sure, it's tempting to not secure your day to day devices. No one wants to swipe their finger across a sensor or enter a four- or six-digit PIN to logon to their device. The question is, do you want to spend countless hours on the phone with fraud departments?  I think not... The amount of personal information stored on our Home Computer is a gold mine to someone with ill intention. For starters, those saved passwords in your web browser can easily be unmasked by downloading a simple program. Device Passwords aren't 100% secure and can be removed by professionals, but it is a simple step that can stop 95% of the population and slow down the remaining 5%. For further protection, storage encryption is recommended if you really want to keep prying eyes out of your personal business. Just remember to store your Bit Locker or other encryption key in a safe location.

• Device security doesn’t end at your desktop or laptop. It’s important to get into the habit of securing your presence through your mobile device as well. Use strong passwords and biometric features, ensure you turn off your Bluetooth and don’t automatically connect to any public Wi-Fi, and download with caution. If your phone is the method primarily used for 2FA, be sure text messages cannot be read until the device is unlocked.

ONLINE ACCOUNT PASSWORDS

• Don’t use the same password on multiple accounts. If "Company A" falls victim to a security breech and user credentials are stolen, hackers will check to see if the same user credentials work on "Company B", "Company C", etc. If you use the same password across multiple sites, all it takes is one breached account. You’re practically paving the way for hackers. Everyone forgets that many online sites like Amazon, eBay or PayPal allow passwords to be reset by receiving an e-mail and following the directions to reset the password. It only takes a few minutes for someone to go on a shopping spry ordering items on your stored credit card on eBay or other online retail stores.  

ANTI-VIRUS AND ANTI-MALWARE

• Make sure you download and install antivirus software from vendors that you trust and never run more than one AV tool on your PC or Mac at the same time. If you can’t afford to buy a license, there are plenty of free options for home users such as AVIRA, AVAST and Microsoft. If you’d like to do some research on what security software is best for you and your devices we recommend AV Comparatives and AV Test.

PHISHING SCAMS

• Just because you can click, doesn’t mean you should. Remember, it can cost you a hefty sum. Malicious links can do damage in several different ways, so be sure to inspect links and ensure they’re from trusted senders or verified companies before clicking. Many hackers pretend to represent a well-known company. For example, you may receive an e-mail from Apple Support, sending you an e-mail or text alert about your account security. Always check the credibility of the source. For example, legitimate e-mails come from "support@apple.com" with the domain ending in “@apple.com” whereas “@secureidmsapple.com” is a fraudulent and a spoof domain.

FINANCIAL & ONLINE SHOPPING ACCOUNTS

• It should go without saying but any Financial Account linked to a banking institution should utilize a strong and unique password. In addition, Two Factor Authentication should be enabled with a Security Key or Text Message to your personal cell phone before the user can login. The same goes with Online Shopping Accounts like eBay, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. Many individuals store their credit cards on file with online retailers to make purchases easier and faster.

• First step to online shopping safety: make sure the URLs of the sites you shop on start with “https”, not “http”. The difference? HTTPS is just like HTTP but uses SSL to encrypt requests. In plain English, HTTPS sites are more secure than their counterparts, HTTP. In addition, check the Address Bar in your browser to make sure the URL is spelled correctly.

AVOID SKETCHY DEALS & CHOOSE PAYMENT METHODS WISELY

• When you monitor your accounts, you can ensure you catch suspicious activity. Can you recall everywhere you have online accounts and what information is stored on them, like credit card numbers for easier payments? It’s important to keep track of your digital footprint, including social media, and to delete accounts you’re not using, while ensuring you set strong passwords (that you change regularly). You can check for Data Breeches by visiting Have I Been Pwned.

TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

• Two-factor authentication adds a second level of authentication to an account log-in. When you have to enter only your username and one password, that's considered a single-factor authentication. 2FA requires the user to have two out of three types of credentials before being able to access an account. The four types are:

  • Something you know, such as a personal identification number (PIN), password or a pattern

  • Something you have, such as an ATM card, phone, or fob

  • Something you are, such as a biometric like a fingerprint or voice print

  • Something you receive, such as a text message code or e-mailed code

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

• When you monitor your accounts, you can ensure you catch suspicious activity. Can you recall everywhere you have online accounts and what information is stored on them, like credit card numbers for easier payments? It’s important to keep track of your digital footprint, including social media, and to delete accounts you’re not using, while ensuring you set strong passwords (that you change regularly). You can check for Data Breeches by visiting Have I Been Pwned.

PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS

• Keep an eye on your device. If you are using your device in a public location and viewing sensitive information consider purchasing a screen filter. Lock your device when you step away from your computer. Never leave sensitive or confidential items at your desk, like post-it notes with your password written on them.

VULNERABLE SOFTWARE

• Operating System patches can be issued when security flaws are discovered. Developers focus on providing program enhancements and security updates on a system for a short period of time. When developers abandon a previous product for a new version you need to migrate before the End of Life (EOL). In many cases an update can be installed by the end user or a technician. In some cases, the physical device just can't be updated, in those cases it is time to take that device offline if you wish to continue using it. Better yet, simply replace it.

• Third-Party Software patches are often more critical. If you find these software update notifications to be annoying, you’re not alone. But you can consider them the lesser of two evils when weighing up rebooting your device versus putting yourself at risk for malware and other types of computer infection.

SMART PHONE APP PERMISSIONS

• When downloading Apps on your Smart Phone or other Mobile Devices make sure the App comes from a credible source. Unfortunately, App Reviews cannot be used to verify the credibility of the program as reviews can be faked by a flood of reviews from one or two people. When installing the App, think critically on the permissions that App is requesting. Years ago, Flash Light Apps were not integrated into the Smart Phone Operating System and a Third-Party App was required to utilize the Camera Flash as a Flash Light. Many of these Third-Party Apps requested permission to access your devices location and contact list. The developers of these Apps were selling the private information from your contact list. Now you know how your cell phone number was acquired by those pesky telemarketers.

CONNECT SECURELY

• Cyber security tips about this have been dished out by nearly every tech expert under the sun, but many still don’t follow this advice. You might be tempted to connect your device to an unsecured connection like Starbucks Free Wi-Fi, but when you weigh the consequences, it’s not worth it. Only connect to private networks when possible, especially when handling sensitive information. This will prevent hackers from using packet sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks to steal user credentials.

SOCIAL ENGINEERING

• When hackers can’t find a security vulnerability, they’ll attack in other ways. Enter social engineering. This type of attack is more of an attack on the mind of the user, rather than on the device, to gain access to systems and information. Especially with the information publicly available online and over social media, cyber criminals come up with creative ways to dupe users. The Facebook Clone hack where a user pretends to be a family member asking for money for bail is a relevant example.

DATA BACKUP

• These days, storage doesn’t cost much. There’s no excuse not to have a backup of important data. Back it up on a physical location and on the cloud. Remember, malicious threats and hackers don’t always want to steal your data, but sometimes the end-goal is to encrypt or erase it. Back it up to have an ultimate recovery tool. You can read more details on data backups on our services page. 

YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE

• The most harmful thought you can have is “it won’t happen to me,” or “I don’t visit unsafe websites.” Cyber criminals don’t discriminate and can target many different users. Be proactive. Not all mistakes can be undone with “ctrl + Z”.