Page 6 October 10, 2019 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
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Are You Protecting Your Digital House From Cybercrime?
(BPT) - As the pace of technology advances,
cybersecurity threats do, too. Data breaches,
identity theft, phishing and malware make
headlines seemingly every day. Internetconnected
devices, social media, digital
assistants and mobile apps have become
indispensable in our everyday lives, but
their connectedness makes us increasingly
vulnerable to cyberattacks. Recent reports
estimate that damages relating to cybercrime
are expected to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021.
“It’s impossible to predict when you will
be affected by cybercrime,” says Bashar
Abouseido, chief information security officer
for Charles Schwab Corp. “The best defense
is to stay informed.”
It can be helpful to envision your computer
and digital devices as a house where you
store your personal data. October is National
Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it’s a
good time to make sure your digital house
is secure. The first step is to understand the
ways cybercriminals may attempt to access
your data.
Data breaches occur when there is
unauthorized access to sensitive personal
information. These incidents often make
headline news and can affect large numbers
of consumers.
Malicious software, also known as malware,
spyware, ransomware and viruses, refers to
software programs designed with the purpose
of gaining unauthorized access to a mobile
app, digital device or computer.
Tips to protect your digital house
1. Remodel your digital house: Installing
updates is an essential first step.
Think of system updates as basic
maintenance to your digital house that is
keeping your personal data safe. It can be
annoying to see those system update prompts
on your computer or mobile device, but
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software developers are constantly improving
their software to repel the latest malware.
By keeping your operating system and apps
updated, you are making sure that your digital
house is as secure as possible.
2. Don’t have a leaky house: Be wary of
public Wi-Fi networks.
Using public - and often free - Wi-Fi
networks is convenient, but it is a common
entry point for criminals to use malware
to infect your devices and apps. Use only
networks you trust or use your own personal
Wi-Fi hotspot if you have one. Never update
your devices when you are connected to a
public Wi-Fi network.
3. Keep your keys secure: Choose unique
access credentials.
Access credentials - usernames and
passwords - are the keys that keep your digital
house safe and secure. Select credentials
that are unique and don’t include personal
identifying information such as a name,
address or birthday. For added protection,
choose two-step verification to access critical
online accounts for your banking, retirement
or investment accounts. Two-step verification
is typically a key or another code provided
by the service provider in addition to your
primary access credentials to verify your
identity.
4. Secure doors and windows: Use only
secure websites and app stores.
Web browsers and app stores are like the
doors and windows in your digital house. Make
sure they are secure by using web addresses
that start with “https” and downloading apps
only from the Apple App Store, Microsoft
Store and Google Play store.
5. Don’t open that door: Delete suspicious
emails.
That knock on your cyber front door is
the sound of a cybercriminal sending you
a phishing email. Be suspicious of emails
that come from unknown senders. Use your
cursor to hover over questionable links and
email addresses to reveal the true identity
of the link or sender. When in doubt, don’t
click on any links or open any attachments
and delete the email immediately.
For more information on more ways to
educate and protect yourself from cybercrimes,
visit SchwabSafe. *