AVOIDING ONLINE THREATS CYBER SECURITY MYTHS, FACTS, TIPS. ftrsecure.com

Transcription

1 AVOIDING ONLINE THREATS CYBER SECURITY MYTHS, FACTS, TIPS ftrsecure.com

2 Can You Separate Myths From Facts? Many Internet myths still persist that could leave you vulnerable to internet crimes. Check out your savvy, and up your digital security at the same time! 02 Device Security Part 1 03 Device Security Part 2 04 Passwords 05 Online Banking 06 Online Shopping 07 Mobile Devices 08 Mobile Apps 09 Public/Free Wi-Fi 10 The Cloud 11 1

3 Device Security Part 1 Myth: Free antivirus protection are as good as ones you pay for Fact: Every reputable antivirus company that offers a free version also offers for-pay versions. Why? Because the free version does not offer enough protection Myth: It s OK to let my antivirus subscription lapse; I m still protected Fact: A Microsoft study found that computers with expired antivirus protection were almost four times as likely to be infected as computers that had up-to-date antivirus protection Myth: There are millions of computers. No one is interested in hacking my firewall Fact: Malware programs trawl the internet looking for unprotected firewalls to exploit Myth: Apple devices don t get viruses or malware Fact: Apple computers are not immune to malware, and the threats against Apple devices continues to increase You need top quality anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a password protected firewall. Set your options to automatically install updates to protect against hackers and infections Select automatic updates on your operating system, browsers and other software as well so any vulnerabilities can be fixed before any criminals can exploit your devices Password protect your computers and laptops when not in use, and avoid automatic logins. While it s convenient for you to not have to enter a password, it s equally convenient for a thief 2

4 Device Security Part 2 Myth: If my laptop or tablet is out of sight, like in my car trunk or under a jacket, it won t be stolen Myth: I don t need a password to log in to my device; no one has access to it Fact: A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds Fact: 10% of devices will be stolen over their lifetime Even if you live alone, password protecting your log-in is essential. Inquisitive visitors and thieves only need minutes to find sensitive information on your device When done with an online session, log off or set your device to automatically go into sleep mode within a few minutes. This way if someone steals or gets access to your devices, it is harder for the thief to get your personal information If you re using a laptop, secure it with a cable lock when you re outside your home even if you re only stepping away for a moment Don t leave your laptop visible in your car, and keep it in your carryon luggage when traveling 3

5 Passwords Myth: No one is going to guess my password, so it s fine to use the same one everywhere 66 percent Fact: 66% of people online utilize only 1 or 2 passwords for all of their accounts. As soon as that password is hacked, criminals have access to all your accounts Fact: Weak and common passwords like , Password, Default, and Qwerty can be hacked in less than one second of a brute force attack Fact: The top 5 passwords uncovered through the Ashley Madison hack were , 12345, password, DEFAULT and Fact: Hackers don t have to be tech savvy. A simple web search on password hacks returns over 12.6 million results to teach you how Strong passwords are long, mix upper and lower case letters, include numbers, symbols, and have no ties to your personal information Make passwords memorable but hard to guess. Check out these simple tricks and tips to great passwords Use a phrase: 2468WhoDoYouAppreciate? (from the children s chant) Incorporate shortcut codes or acronyms: Ih8Shopping (I hate shopping) Create a passphrase instead of a password. They re easier to remember and much, much stronger. For example, RowRowRowYourBoat is estimated to require over 1,683,031,341,529 Years to hack! 4

6 Online Banking Myth: It s safer to bank offline than online Fact: Banking online is much safer than banking offline if you keep your devices secure, and use a strong password. Why? You avoid receiving bank statements in your mailbox where it is at risk of theft. You don t have to carry checks or large cash amounts to/from banks Myth: Using my debit card for payments is as safe as using my credit card Fact: Using credit cards for purchases is far safer than using debit cards. Credit cards have a loss limit, so if they re stolen or abused, you aren t responsible for any purchases. Even though some debit cards provide a loss limit (most don t), the fraudulent charges are immediately taken from your bank account, leaving you short on funds until things are straightened out Use strong, long passwords and PINs that are not associated with you (social security numbers for example) Don t store account numbers or passwords on your devices where they could be found by a hacker Keep your security software up-to-date Never trust an claiming to be from your bank find your bank s website yourself (don t click that link or call using a number provided in an !), then log in and see if the bank really has a message for you 5

7 Online Shopping Myth: Shopping online puts you at greater risk for identity theft Fact: If your devices have up-to-date security software and strong passwords, shopping online on reputable websites is at least as safe as shopping in the store. Just be sure the website uses a secure connection ( so your personal information is not exposed Myth: Shopping online is more expensive because you have to pay for shipping Fact: The prices of goods sold online is frequently lower than the prices in stores because companies don t have to pay for an expensive store front, and shipping is often free. However, you should always compare prices and shop where you find the best combination of trustworthy company and price Dedicate one credit card for your online shopping so you can easily monitor online purchase charges. This is especially important during the holiday s when you re busy and checking multiple cards may seem like too much hassle. If you see an unauthorized charge, report it to your credit card company immediately Never use a link in an to get to a shopping site; the may be malicious. Instead, use a search engine and find the store s website yourself Always check a store s reputation before shopping. If you can t find reviews on a store, don t shop there 6

8 Mobile Devices Myth: The content on my mobile phone is safe if I use a PIN Fact: Although 75% of consumers consider the personal content on their mobile device more valuable than the device itself: 36% of People Don t Password Protect Their Mobile Devices 30% store password information in the Notes app. 21% use mother s maiden name as their secret answer when they forget their PIN Myth: Mobile phones and tablets don t need protection against malware Fact: Over a million new Android malware strains were identified in first six months of 2015 Weak PINs are like Weak Passwords too easy to hack. Protect your device with a strong password or PIN, or use features like fingerprint scanning Use your phones anti-theft features; new devices typically offer the ability to remotely lock a device and even remotely delete personal data Always back up data if you lose your phone, you don t have to lose your data Install anti-theft software that offers additional security features beyond standard pre-installed device options 7

9 Mobile Apps Myth: I won t get malware from apps Fact: While downloading apps from the big reputable app stores is much safer than apps on smaller sites, you can still be infected with malware Myth: If millions of people are using the app, it must be secure and respect my privacy Fact: Companies know you re not likely to read the terms and conditions or privacy policies, so unscrupulous developers include permissions to track your location, your contacts, your transactions, and exploit your information Only download apps from reputable app stores, or use company specific apps (like your bank s app) ALWAYS read the privacy policy and terms of use, then use any privacy settings. The three minutes this takes could significantly improve your privacy and security 8

10 Public/Free Wi-Fi Myth: Everyone uses public Wi-Fi hotspots, so they must be safe Fact: Criminals love Public Wi-Fi hotspots. They either hack the real hotspot or set up a fake hotspot to lure unsuspecting users Fact: WiFi signals are just radio waves. Anyone with some easily acquired software can steal any communication sent over those radio waves unless added security is in place on both the Wi-Fi network and on every device used to connect with it Myth: If I know the WiFi connection is secure, there are no risks when using it Fact: The least secure public hotspots are those that don t require a password to use like in coffee shops, libraries and airports Before you access or share personal information on a public wireless network, ask how that network is protected Before you connect to a public Wi-Fi, secure your devices to minimize risks If you use an encrypted website, it protects only the information you send to and from that site. If you use a secure wireless network, all the information you send on that network is protected 9

11 The Cloud (think online storage) Myth: Storing information in some company s cloud (online storage) means I don t control it Fact: When your data is stored in the cloud, not only do you have full control of it, you can access it from anywhere even if your devices break or get stolen Myth: Content stored in the cloud is easier to hack Fact: Content stored in a reputable cloud service is protected by a dedicated security team of IT professionals. Unless you re a security guru, their active monitoring of security threats means your content is more protected Myth: Storing information in the cloud is complicated Fact: Saving content to the cloud is just as easy as saving it to your device folders You love being able to access your , social media, online banking, etc., from any device; cloud storage gives you the opportunity to do this with all your content photos, videos, documents, music, and more! Save yourself the grief of losing data due to theft, technical malfunctions or other causes. The cloud takes away this risk. Learn the features offered by your cloud service provider 10

12 Myth: I can spot a scam from a mile away Myth: When I hover over links in an , I can tell if the link is legitimate Fact: Lots of scams are pathetic and easily detected. However, some are so sophisticated that even security professionals can be fooled Myth: from my mother is safe Fact: With so many accounts hacked, an that looks like it comes from a trusted source (like your mother) may actually be from a scammer using your mother s account The ONLY way to not get fooled by an scam is to never act on an never click a link, download a file or photo, or call a number provided If an comes from someone you know, but it contains links, attachments, or seems off, contact the person via phone or text to verify the is legitimate before clicking or downloading! And remember, just because you trust your friend, doesn t mean the link in their isn t malicious they might have been fooled too 11

13 About Frontier Secure Frontier Secure offers innovative products and services to protect every aspect of digital life, including computer security, cloud backup & sharing, the connected home, identity protection, equipment protection and 24/7 U.S.- based premium technical support. These products and services are sold nationwide directly to consumers and small businesses. Learn more at ftrsecure.com or call