October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In keeping with this theme, let’s talk about the upcoming holidays and some ways to avoid holiday scams.
1. Be careful about what you click on.
Phishing scams are one of the most common types of holiday scams, and they can be very convincing. Phishing emails and text messages often contain links that appear to be from legitimate companies, such as shipping companies or charities. However, these links actually lead to fake websites that are designed to steal your personal information.
To avoid phishing scams, be careful about what you click on. If you receive an email or text message from a company you don’t know or trust, do not click on any links. Instead, go to the company’s website directly by typing the URL into your browser address bar. Try to avoid searching for the company’s website, as scammers often use the paid search results to try to trick you.
2. Be wary of unsolicited offers.
Scammers often use unsolicited offers to lure people into holiday scams. For example, they may offer you a discounted gift card or a chance to win a free gift. However, these offers are often too good to be true. If you receive an unsolicited offer, be wary of it. Do not give out any personal information or pay any money unless you are sure that the offer is legitimate.
3. Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
Strong passwords and 2FA are essential for protecting your online accounts from unauthorized access. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and includes a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols; most accounts now also allow you to use spaces. 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password when logging in.
If you are not already using strong passwords and 2FA for all your online accounts, now is the time to start. Most websites and apps offer the ability to enable 2FA.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is all about raising awareness, and education is key. You can take advantage of a wealth of information available online such as:
- CBTech Support Blog (https://bit.ly/CBTech-blog)
- Krebs On Security (https://krebsonsecurity.com)
- The Verge (https://theverge.com/cyber-security)
- The National Cyber Security Alliance (https://staysafeonline.org)
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (https://cisa.gov)
Sign up for our monthly Timely Tech Tips: https://bit.ly/CBTech-Tips
For weekly tips like these, follow us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2sCMb30 LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/375e6HB Twitter: https://bit.ly/3ajca0n