We all take precautions when it comes to the physical world. We lock the doors on our house and cars and we don’t leave the keys lying around for someone else to pickup and use. When someone unknown rings our doorbell we approach with caution and don’t start engaging with them until we know who they are and why they are on our front porch. Do you use similar protections when you are using online services? Are your passwords easy to guess, or worse do you use the same password for multiple sites? Do you use caution when reading and responding to email message to ensure they are really from the person listed as the sender?
You are more likely to be involved in an online attack or theft then you are a physical attack just because its so much easier for the criminals to reach you online.
Here are a couple of popular scams that are taking place today.
- You receive a call from a family member in trouble, it doesn’t really sound like them, but they tell you they are calling from a location with poor cell service. They need you to go to the store and purchase gift cards or get cash to deliver to someone on their behalf. This may sound crazy, but it happens and the person on the receiving end of the call is worried about their family member and not thinking its a criminal on the other end.
- Your printer breaks down and you go to Google and search for a support number. You find an 800 number and dial it, someone answers immediately and says they are ready to help. They say they need you to go to a website to they can remotely access your computer to provide support. Instead of providing support they install software that can take over your computer and then lock up all your files or steal them. Always make sure to go to the manufacturers site to search for help, don’t just Google it.
Would you like to learn some simple ways to protect yourself and your family members from online attacks? If so I published an easy to read and short book with some great tips that will help anyone be safer online. Just click the link below, you can purchase the Kindle or printed version of the book.
Online Security and Safety: Cybersecurity Tips to Protect you and your Family on the Internet
