Assignment 1: Review the How To Protect Yourself From Cyberattacks Guide and implement at least one of the strategies or tips described inside.
A few suggestions from the guide:
- Update your systems and apps regularly to patch vulnerabilities.
- Consider installing or updating virus/malware-detecting software.
- Use strong, complex passwords and update them regularly. NEVER use the same password for different sites.
- Consider a password manager system.
- I put all my passwords in a single file that is password protected and stored offline in my biometric thumbdrive. It’s a hassle going and getting that when I have to, but I know hackers aren’t going to do it.
- Establish 2-layer authentication on every critical system (Social Security, medical records, banking, investment accounts, etc.)
- Again, it’s a hassle to get up and get my phone to verify a number from a text message, but hackers don’t have your phone now; you do. The accounts they will raid will be the easiest ones they can get into.
- Don’t click on suspicious links or attachments in emails or messages. If you didn’t request it, ignore it. If the message appears to come from friends or family, call them and ask if they sent it, or open a new message and ask. Trust but verify.
- Be mindful of cookies and browsing habits. Consider privacy-focused browsers (e.g. Brave) or incognito/Private browsing modes on standard browsing.
- Browsing in these private/incognito modes may not allow you to conduct official business like banking, which is why 2-layer authentication is also important.
- Be skeptical of information online, especially social media. Don’t share too much personal information. If you get an email that has your name, it’s still unlikely that they have any more information than that. Don’t give them more by responding. If it’s from your bank, look up the number or email at their official site online and use that to make any inquiries.
- Review your bank statements regularly and monitor for unauthorized transactions.
- Consider switching to online/mobile banking for faster fraud detection and resolution.
- Keep some cash on hand for emergencies in case electronic systems fail.
- Don’t confirm your identity over the phone by saying “yes” or pressing numbers.
Any one of the above suggestions can be put into action today to enhance your online security and, hence, your online preparedness. Each is like putting a brick in a wall protecting you from individual or large-scale cyberattacks. Don’t limit yourself to one, but put them all in place to build the best wall of defense. We don’t often think of cybersecurity as an aspect of disaster preparedness, but as we have seen in recent years, critical systems can instantly be brought down, data breached, and compromised. Disasters of this type are growing in magnitude and scope. Your cyber-preparedness begins with protecting yourself.