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Visibility Generating Authority Building * Writing and Marketing Information
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April 22, 2015 / Newsletter 042215
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10 Must-Know Security Tips to Protect Content, Websites, Social Media Accounts . . .
By Karen Cioffi
Every day it gets more important to know safety tips for your online accounts.
It seems more and more businesses and people are getting hacked. The
most recent I heard of was a savvy pro-marketer. All his computer files,
programs, and other data was actually held ransom. He paid the hackers
$500 to get everything back.
Sounds crazy, right?
Well, unfortunately, this is a way of life today. These hackers have
sophisticated programs and techniques that can hack almost anything.
And, once in your computer they will have access to your banking
information, your credit card information, all you data, all your
clients data, and so on, and so on.
Introducing a cyber attack to your computer can be as simple as
downloading software on the internet or clicking on a link within an
email.
In fact, with home automation (another online ‘convenience’) these
hackers can get into a lot more than your computer and online accounts.
The can virtually enter your home.
According to an article at DailyMail on cyber attacks, the criminals
don’t “have to use sophisticated techniques to break into home
appliances, including your front door.” (If it’s on the system.)
But, I digress. Let’s get back to protecting your online accounts, including your email.
10 Safety Tips to Protect Your Online Accounts and More
1. This is critical – make sure your password is at the very
least 10 characters. And, be sure to mix them up. I’m sure you know what
I’m talking about: use capital and lower case letters, symbols, and
numbers. And, super important, don’t use any kind of sequences, like abc
or 123.
2. Another critical measure – change your passwords on a regular
basis. Don’t wait until you get a warning or you’ve been hacked. Cyber
criminals are smart . . . and clever. Given enough time, they can figure
out your password.
3. Don’t make your security answers obvious. If the question is
“Who is Batman’s sidekick?” You can be sure a hacker will guess Robin.
If the question is “Who is Donald Duck’s girlfriend?” Don’t answer with
Daisy. If it’s common knowledge . . . it’s common knowledge.
4. Keep your passwords unique. This means don’t use the same
password for two or more accounts and don’t reuse passwords. If you have
trouble coming up with unique passwords, you check out a tool that PC
Tools offers: https://identitysafe.norton.com/password-generator/
5. Check with your email service provider to see if they offer a
login activity feature. Both Gmail and Yahoo do. This tool will give you
recent login activity. Knowing if unauthorized users are in your
accounts is a huge deal. It allows you to take immediate security
measures.
6. A BIGGIE – Always, always, always sign out of your internet
accounts. Whether it’s your email, your social media accounts, you’re
websites, online groups, or other, be sure to log out when you’re done. A
number of online services, like Google and Yahoo, allow you to stay
logged on, even after you move on. This is an unsafe practice. Log out
when you’re done.
7. Keep all your passwords safe. It may be convenient to list
them on your computer, but don’t do it. Keep a ‘hard copy’ list or keep
it on a zip drive (see below for a warning).
8. Don’t open emails you’re not sure of. If it looks suspicious,
delete it. And, don’t respond to any emails that request personal
information or request you change your password.
9. Secure your computer with antivirus software. It may not prevent a high-tech attack, but it should prevent low-end stuff from happening.
10. Protect your mobile device too. It’s a wise move to use a password on your device and you might want to lock it also.
Note: When using a zip or external drive, if you keep it plugged into
your computer and you’re attacked, the hacker will take over your zip
drive also. This is what happened to the pro-marketer I mentioned
earlier. So, if you do use an external drive be sure to backup your work
and then remove the device.
A couple of extra tips or at least my thoughts.
Don’t use cyber automation for your home. Referencing the
DailyMail article again, General Manager of Proofpoint’s Information
Security division David Knight says, ‘Many of these devices are poorly
protected at best and consumers have virtually no way to detect or fix
infections when they do occur.”
Use the cloud. There are a number of offsite services you can use
to keep your data safe from loss. Services like Carbonite.com and
Dropbox.com backup your data on a regular basis. This way if you get
hacked or something goes wrong with your computer, you won’t lose vital
data.
I hope these tips help keep you ‘cybersafe.’ Remember, an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure, or maybe lots, lots more.
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Article reprinted from The Writing World newsletter. Want more must-know writing and marketing information along with updates on free webinars right in your inbox? Get access to The Writing World (http://thewritingworld.com) today.
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Karen Cioffi, Freelance Writer For Individuals (Academic Papers, Essays, Editing, and More)
The Article Writing Doctor Your Content Marketing Prescription (For Small and Home Businesses)
karencioffi [at] ymail [dot] com
I'm an affiliate for some of the products I recommend. I only tell you about products I've checked out.
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