The month of October brings two things: Cyber Security Awareness and Halloween. Halloween is a spooky and scary time, just like Cyber Attacks!
The number one reason of cyber-attacks occurring continues to be due to human error. Cyber criminals are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in people and systems to get the information that they need.
Cybercriminals “TRICK” users by using a number of tactics, the most popular ones include:
- Phishing: A popular attempt to steal your personal information or money is known as “phishing scams” because they “fish” for your information.
- Ransomware: Ransomware encrypts the files on your computer and network shared drives and asks for money from victims in order to regain access of them.
- Tech Support Scams: Online scams that try to trick you into contacting fake tech support to pay for services or software, or to get access to your PC.
Now, “TREAT” yourselves to these helpful tips:
- Don’t Click on Links from the Unknown: Just like you should never take candy from strangers (besides on Halloween), you should never click on links from unknown sources.
- Protect Yourself with a Strong Password: A strong password includes upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. A password manager is also very useful in storing all of your passwords.
- Keep Your Personal Information Safe: Use caution when using public Wi-Fi. Consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to give yourself some online privacy.
- Chase Away Lurking Attackers: Although most of the ghosts and goblins are gone after Halloween, the impact a Cyber Attack can have on yourself and/or your organization can last for months. The key is to prevent a Cyber Attack from the start by keeping any potential attackers away from your systems.
