Power Up With John Hassler - Blog - November 2017

1. Don’t Be Click Happy

You should always be diligent about e-mail practices, but particularly around this time of year when hackers push out phishing schemes in hopes of catching you at a weak moment during the holiday rush.

A good rule of thumb?  Never click on a URL that you receive in an email, particularly an email that comes from a merchant or a bank.  These forged emails trick you into clicking on links where you enter logins and passwords on fake sites.  Here a hacker gains valuable information about you, your buying habits and your credit and banking information. The easiest way to avoid getting caught up in a phishing scam? Don’t be click happy.  Type the actual URL of the website you want to visit in your browser, not on the embedded link.
 
2.  Keep it Clean

Inside your inbox is a boatload of password reset links, statements from banks and other accounts as well as tons of emails containing sensitive and personal information.  Hackers can sift through this information to get your birthday, address, names of family members and friends and build a good deal of referential data on you that they can use in the future to falsely represent themselves as you.  The simplest way to reduce the amount of data they can access is to make a habit of deleting any emails that contain proprietary or sensitive data. 

3. Credit Cards Beat Debit Cards

When you whip out the plastic to pay for that fantastic deal, make sure you use a credit card not a debit card for your transactions.  You are usually protected under both cards, but since it takes some time to sort out the fraudulent charges you don’t want your cash situation to be….completely out of your pocket.  Make sure you check ALL of your credit card statements and report any transactions that don’t look legitimate.
 
4. Reusing Passwords is Worse than Weak Passwords

Afraid you can’t remember all of your passwords? Well think twice before using the same password more than once.  According to the experts, reusing passwords is a bigger danger than using weak ones.  Don’t make the mistake of using the same password on shopping sites that you do for your banking or other sensitive sites.  There are password managers you can use that will enable you to manage the plethora of passwords. Do some research and find the one that works best for you.
 
5. Watch Out for BLOW OUT Sales and Stores that Blow Out of the Picture

Looking for the best deal can sometimes lead you to a phantom store that for all intents looks legitimate but after securing your credit card information and payment, takes your info and runs.  These phantom sites can be very convincing so make sure that you check out the URL.  Look to make sure it has some convincing evidence that it is legitimate and there is an “https://” at the beginning of the URL. Word to the wise, if it looks too good to be true…it probably is.

6. Updates Keep You Safer

Ever get those pesky messages that nag you to update your browser or your other applications, add-ons and programs?  Don’t ignore them.  When you get a pop up that reminds you there is an update, make sure it is legitimate and then schedule a time to update your programs with the recommended security updates.  If you get an email with a link, ignore that and instead type into your browser the correct URL to download the update. 

The holiday hustle and bustle is here.  Make sure you keep your holidays jolly and be cautious, diligent and informed when buying online.   For more information, contact info@Tech2020solutions.com.