Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 61, No. 46 - November 14, 2019
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
First Responders Visit School
Last Friday was First Responder Day at Hawthorne’s Harbor View Elementary School. The kids had a memorable time meeting our public safety heroes. Photo: Hawthorne PD
Three Simple Words Keep
Online Accounts Safe, Secure
By Rob McCarthy
A strange e-mail appeared in my inbox
this week, and the timing of it almost fooled
me. Earlier in the week, I had posted an
article on LinkedIn about how the U.S.
Census Bureau understands working adults
make an excellent addition to a workforce.
They’re reliable, experienced and their local
knowledge is a huge asset.
LinkedIn is a social media site that is
like Facebook for business professionals.
People use it to promote their subject matter
expertise. Some professionals use LinkedIn
to search for jobs, while others promote their
appearances at trade shows and speaking
events. Birthdays, job promotions and work
anniversaries are shared on it too.
Getting back to the email that dropped into
my inbox this week, it looked suspicious but
it came from LinkedIn. And I had just posted
a new article on the site, so the timing of the
email made it seem legitimate. The subject
line of the email was “Action detected on
your LinkedIn account.” Since I’d used my
account just days before, I was curious.
However, I’m not gullible either. Friends
of mine have had their LinkedIn and Facebook
accounts hacked before after clicking
on a malicious email. That’s the trouble. An
innocent-looking email can be a Trojan horse
programmed to spread using one’s contact
list. In social media circles, an email virus
spreads faster than the flu in January.
My guard was up, thanks to National
Cybersecurity Awareness Month held every
October. Stop. Think. Connect. Those three
words are sound advice for anyone who uses
a computer at home or work, and mobile
devices. We’re all playing defense these days.
All it takes is one careless click to unleash
unintended consequences: identify theft, bank
fraud, Social Security fraud, credit card purchases,
cash advances and ruined consumer
credit. Or, a takeover of your business or
entity’s computer data.
Here are some everyday situations that
will text even the most cyber-savvy citizen:
Q: You receive an email from an online
shopping site claiming that you were incorrectly
charged for your last purchase
and are due a refund. The email asks you
to click a link to start the refund process.
What should you do?
A: Do not click on the link. Tip: Check
the sender’s address and search the document
for spelling or grammar mistakes. If
you notice anything suspicious, the email is
likely a scam. Navigate to the site yourself
rather than clicking any links.
Q: You post a picture of you and your
best friend on your favorite social media
platform. Later, you take it down. Will
this ensure no one else sees the picture?
Answer: No. Once an image is posted
on the Internet, it is virtually impossible to
remove it from circulation. Taking it off of
your social media page will help, but t others
have already seen it or downloaded it.
Q: Automatically updating your machine
poses a significant security concern, as it
could install unwanted programs/features
that disrupt your network or harm your
computer.
Answer: No. Updates contain vital patches
to help protect your machine against attackers.
Keep your machine up-to-date and install
new patches as soon as possible.
Q: Cell phones, tablets and other mobile
devices are not full computers and do
not require software, such as anti-virus,
to be secure.
A: False. Cell phones and tablets are simply
miniature computers. They contain important
data (contacts, financial information, calendars)
and require protection like any other device.
See Cybersecurity, page 4
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