http://www.golfstakes.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21116 GolfStakes.com : Community Forum - Announcements - Start Securing With These Steps Cybercriminals ar - Messages en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jitbit AspNetForum Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:23:02 GMT Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:23:02 GMT http://www.golfstakes.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=21116
Cybercriminals are skilled when it comes to swiping data from unsuspecting victims. And sometimes, it even seems as though online bad guys have a way to crack any security barrier put in place. But just like any other petty criminal, these scammers don’t like to face resistance or obstacles to get their prize. That’s good news for you, because that means that you can protect yourself — and your private data — from their attacks.

By learning about the security tools already at your disposal and taking a few proactive measures, you can decrease your chances of becoming another victim of cybercrime.

1. Learn about phishing
You probably know what phishing is, even if the term is unfamiliar. Phishing scams are a method used by cybercriminals to get your account password or your credit card information. Using a malicious website or login prompt as bait, scammers “go phishing” for victims to unknowingly provide their own private information. These malicious sites are designed to replicate a legitimate screen of a popular website or service, so it isn’t always apparent when foul play is afoot. And while phishing was once synonymous with email scams, it’s since evolved to other mediums, login prompts for smartphones.


The next time you’re prompted by email or mobile notification to log in to an account and your phishing tenses tingle, best to do it manually. That means you should go to the sender’s website yourself (aka, don’t click any email links) or navigate to a real login prompt on your device.

2. Enable 2FA
Employees are required to enable two-factor authentication tools for everything. Want to sign into Google? 2FA. Need to update the website? 2FA. Twice. Through separate authenticators. Needless to say, we find 2-step verification to be a very effective method for securing online accounts. Yet 9 out of 10 Americans still ignore this vital security tool. One could surmise that the burden of 2FA and maintaining an authentication app is what keeps the masses from securing their accounts. But now that most websites and apps offer two-factor authentication protection to their users, there’s no excuse for not enabling it. Don’t let laziness be what get your accounts hacked.


3. Use a VPN
Shameless plug, coming up. When it comes to cybersecurity, one of the most overlooked threats is at the network level. You can have the most complex passwords and always be diligent about the websites you use, but if your internet connection isn’t private, you may as well do nothing at all. Short for virtual private network, a VPN is a tool that encrypts your online connection, so you can use any source of internet safely. VPNs are most often used on public Wi-Fi and monitored networks (corporate office, university, etc.), but they can be used on any internet connection with a variety of additional benefits.


We’re definitely biased when it comes to picking your VPN service provider, but users trust RitaVPN because of our speed, our simplicity (set it and forget VPN apps), and our commitment to the security of our users. Want to try RitaVPN? Take advantage of our money-back guarantee.]]> Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:23:02 GMT