Top 5 Cybersecurity Tips for You and Your Family

If the last couple of years showed us anything, it’s that cyber crime took off like a rocket. 2021 was a banner year for losses. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report for 2021, those who were defrauded lost $6.9 BILLION dollars! Definitely read through the report to see what the losses look like.

To help better protect your family, here are our top 5 cybersecurity tips to better secure your stuff. This isn’t exhaustive and is meant to get you started.

1. Use a password manager. A password manager is a place to securely store your passwords. There are password managers that you install locally on your device. There are also ones that provide an online vault. Password managers also come with a random password generator, so it takes away some of the frustrations out of creating a new password. One thing to be aware of is your password vault is protected by a master password. This must be protected. If it’s compromised, someone has the keys to the kingdom and access to your vault. If the password manager offers two-factor authentication, enable it! This leads to number two.
2. Two-factor authentication(2FA). This is an added layer of protection for your account logins. It helps with making sure it’s you that is logging in to things lie your social media, email, or bank accounts. Traditionally the unique 2FA code is sent to you via text or phone call. This choice is falling out of favor and it’s recommended to, at minimum, use an authenticating app for receiving a time based one-time passcode.
3. Updates. Make sure all your devices and software are updated. This helps patch any known security holes.
4. Back up your files. Backing up your files will give you piece of mind if you lose access to them by accident or as a result of a malicious attack. Even more important than backing up your files is making sure you can restore them. You can have all the backups in the world, but if you can’t restore them, they’re useless. It’s important to test restore some files frequently to make sure the restoration process works.
5. Be very aware of what you do online. You and your family come across a lot of stuff online like emails, text messages, and social media posts. Be very careful of what you click, download, and install. Links, attachments, and apps sent by bad actors do install malware on your devices. When it comes to social media, be very deliberate about what you, or your family, share online. Social media posts can reveal personal information and the more of it you post online, the more at risk you are of becoming a victim of identity theft. Our very broad advice is to limit what information you post online and to take advantage of any and all privacy and security settings your online accounts afford you.

How we help

Some of the personal services we provide that will help you and/or your family:

• Identity theft protection and restoration plans.
• Digital footprint reviews.
• Consulting and education.
• Personal VPN service.

Need help, or want to learn more, or want to share your tips? Drop us a message in the form below!