Practical Tips for Home Cyber Security
March 25, 2020
Keeping Your Home Computer Safe From Cyber Security Threats is Important
Cyber security is on the forefront of a lot of business’s strategies, as threats and protections both grow exponentially more effective. While personal information may not feel as sensitive as some high-risk corporate information, personal cyber attacks are a constant risk. Whether it be for banking or personal information, identity theft affects someone new every 2 seconds globally. What can you do to protect yourself from falling victim to a cyber attack? Thankfully there are a lot of options, most of which are straightforward and effective.
Keep personal information stored on your computer minimum.
Facebook stores basic information like your name, birthday, and current place of residence, but did you know that your web browser may be storing similar information? Be mindful to not allow your browser to store your security question answers or credit card information unless you’re certain your computer is completely secure. If a browser requests to store information and you are on a shared computer, select “no”. Additionally, do not store your banking or credit card account information on your computer’s harddrive. While old fashioned, keeping your sensitive information written in a notebook and stored somewhere out of the way is effective against cyber attacks.
Change your passwords frequently.
Many password-secured websites will prompt you to change your password every 3 to 12 months, but some common websites such as Twitter and Facebook do not automatically prompt you to update your password unless a threat has already occurred. The best strategy is to be preemptive and update your password every 3 to 6 months.
Install malware protection.
There are plenty of free and effective anti-malware softwares available online. These programs work by monitoring your computer for malicious downloads from the internet that may install a virus that would skim your information off your computer. These viruses sometimes hide in otherwise safe programs that you intended to download and the malware protection will scan each download you install before allowing the new software to run, catching the virus before it has a chance to spread.
Be aware of phishing scams.
Phishing is when someone reaches out, whether it be via email, private message, or other digital media, while impersonating an authority or organization which you may be connected to for financial or other reasons. Most commonly the phisher will impersonate your insurance or utility company and demand immediate, direct payment on an overdue bill. Sometimes using the threat of utility shut off or legal action, the hope of the phisher is to elicit fear from their target and to gain personal or banking information. Should you receive an email or personal message of that nature and you’re unsure whether or not the notification is genuine there are some steps that you can take to verify:
- Check the sender’s email or other identification
- Call the authority that claims to have reached out via a number provided by that authority, not a number provided by the suspicious email
- Do an internet search about people who have been phished with a similar situation
- Verify the claim against your own records
If those steps do not feel like enough, there are also services that provide home cyber security solutions. These services range widely from information backups and monitoring, to password generators, phishing alerts, and data insurance. Using such services will incur a cost, but when it comes to personal information any and all security it may be worth the investment.
Have you thought about how your insurance coverages may help in the case of a cyber security attack? It may be time to give us a call here at the Wallin Insurance agency to discuss your coverages. Please dial us at 607.734.8799
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