Read More

4 Easy Things You Can Do to Protect Your Information from Cyber Threats

Our personal financial information is more valuable and vulnerable to cyber threats than ever before.

With the rise of online banking, mobile payments, and e-commerce, cybercriminals have more opportunities to steal and exploit our sensitive information for their gain. From identity theft to fraudulent transactions, the consequences of a cyber threats on your financial accounts can be devastating.

It's crucial to understand the importance of cyber security and take proactive steps to protect yourself. Today we'll explore the risks associated with cyber-attacks on personal financial accounts and share tips for keeping your information safe and secure.

Types of cyber threats

The variety of technology we use comes with various possible cyber threats. Understanding the different attack types could help us better prepare and protect our information.

Phishing

Phasing attacks are, unfortunately, prevalent. Often the attacker will attempt to impersonate a trusted contact and send a message via email, text, or other means of communication to the victim, to coerce valuable information. These attacks may include malicious links or attachments designed to install viruses on their devices.

An excellent way to spot a phishing attack is by paying close attention to the following:

  • What is the message trying to get you to do? Is there a link or attachment? Does either look suspicious?
  • Are there any misspellings or typos within the message?
  • Who is the sender? Does the email address have the correct domain spelling?

Malware

Malware attacks refer to malicious software viruses. When victims click on dangerous links, they unknowingly download viruses that can steal data or lock you out of your accounts. Malware can be found in bogus ads, fake websites, and through phishing attempts to get you to download dangerous attachments.

Identity-based attacks

When a victim's credentials are compromised, the attacker can use them to access their accounts. These attacks are becoming common and can result in severe consequences such as identity theft and financial loss. Because the attackers are using real credentials, these attacks can be challenging to track as it may be difficult to identify the real source of entry. Additionally, identity-based attacks can be carried out over extended periods, allowing the attackers to gather more data, making it difficult to respond to the attack.

How Can I Be Proactive?

Though these are not the only kinds of cyber attacks, the importance of proactively protecting your accounts remains the same. Here are four helpful tips to keep in mind for keeping your valuable information secure.

1. Monitor your accounts regularly.

Make a habit of checking your accounts on a regular cadence. If you have accounts that regularly go unmonitored, you are more likely to miss any suspicious activity that may be occurring. Keep an eye out on your credit cards, bank accounts, investment accounts, and even credit reports to ensure nothing suspicious stands out and that anything out of the ordinary is addressed as soon as possible.

2. Use strong passwords.

Create unique and strong passwords for every individual online account. Make sure to use a combination of the following:

  • Letters
  • Symbols
  • Numbers
  • Case-sensitive

Using a unique combination of the above factors for each password will make it more difficult for attackers to access your accounts. Additionally, you want to avoid using personal information like birth dates, names, or other information that somebody can quickly discover. Even using a password manager to store your passwords securely is also a good idea. Password managers are software applications that manage online credentials through a secure site.

3. Practice good use of devices.

The devices that you use can also affect your level of risk. Make sure to keep your software and devices up to date. Ensure that the operating system, antivirus software, and other programs are updated with the latest security features. Consequently, cyber-attackers target vulnerabilities in outdated software to access your device or network.

Similarly, you want to avoid logging into your accounts on public devices. If you log in on a device that is not your own, you risk others accessing your credentials.

4. Be careful of what you share online.

Be careful of what you are sharing online and with who. It is generally a good idea to avoid sharing personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, social security, etc. Attackers will target personal online accounts to mine data to gain access to victims' accounts.

We live in a world that is heavily dependent on technology. We can't always escape the risk of cyber threats, but we can proactively protect ourselves. Following these tips can reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber-attacks and help safeguard your sensitive data and personal information.

Need more help with cybersecurity? Check out our Financial Academy webinar, Playing it Safe: Protecting You and Your Accounts.
Investment advice offered through OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of OneDigital.

Share

Top