Here are 4 ways to shield yourself from cybersecurity threats.
1. Use multi-factor authentication.
Multi-factor authentication is when you log into your online bank or other important accounts where, in addition to your password, they require another form of confirmation—like sending a code or text message to your mobile phone, for example. Most accounts these days give you the option to add multi-factor authentication, but many of us just hit the “Skip” button and move on with our days. But clicking “Yes,” Maurer recommends, could be the very step that helps secure our accounts.
2. Choose harder-to-guess passwords.
Yes, this one may be old news, but I know there are still people out there rolling with “1 2 3 4” for their PIN code and “password” for their password. A strong password will have at least 12 characters and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
And maybe you’ve evolved to use a better password, but you use the same one for just about everything. It may be time to use a password app or third-party service, where you only have to remember your primary password, and it generates unique, cryptic passwords for each of your logins.
Dr. Maurer acknowledges, “If you are a large company or a government, things, like ‘concentration risk,’ a single third-party or app that will hold many passwords centrally, is something you worry about—but for everyday Americans, it provides a useful, additional layer of security.”
Here he made another excellent point, that there are tradeoffs to be considered in all of these cybersecurity decisions, so while there may be a slight risk to an individual for centralizing all of your passwords with a single entity, there is a greater risk to attempting to maintain scores of disparate passwords.
3. Don’t log in to sensitive accounts using unsecured networks.
Yes, that means the networks at your hotel or on the plane.
4. Freeze your credit.
One of the scariest things I learned from Maurer is that, “We simply can’t rely on the security of our Social Security numbers.” Over the course of our lifetimes, too many people and companies have gained access to this most sensitive of our sensitive identifiers. And if they have access to our Social Security number, they have access to our credit, one of the most important things to protect.
So, how can we stop hackers from gaining access to our credit—even if they have our Social Security number? Freeze it. By freezing your credit, you make it impossible for anyone to access your credit.
How? Go to each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and Transunion—and “freeze” or “lock” your credit. You can do this by mail or phone, but you can also affect these changes online (with multi-factor authentication, of course!) in a matter of minutes.
Please know that if you freeze your credit, virtually no one can access it. Therefore, if you plan to use your credit for any reason, you’ll need to “unfreeze” and “refreeze,” or better yet, just “thaw” your credit for a stated timeframe. For example, if you’re buying a new car and plan to use your credit, ask the lender which credit bureau they use and then thaw your credit with that bureau for the necessary time.
Parents, you may also seriously consider freezing your children’s credit—because if they have a Social Security number, they have a credit file, and it may just be your kids’ unmonitored credit that makes for low-hanging fruit for hackers and thieves.
If you have any questions or need guidance on choosing a password manager call us at 732-780-8615 or email at [email protected].
Excerpt from Time Maurer. “7 Simple Ways To Shield Yourself From Cybersecurity Threats”. forbes.com, Oct 25, 2023