Your Cyber Security Matters This Holiday Season: How to Improve Cyber Security
Thanksgiving officially opens the “holiday season” as we all look to end the year on high. This means it is the season for giving, and what better gift to give yourself and your loved ones than improved cyber security?
The holidays are a time when we let our guard down and focus on celebrating with family and friends. But hackers don’t take a break, even during the holiday season. They see this as an opportunity to strike when people are distracted and busy. So how can you stay vigilant against cyber-attacks while enjoying all the holiday season offers?
No one wants to think about cyber security during the holidays, but it’s important to be aware of the dangers that come with letting your guard down. Hackers see this as an opportunity to strike and hurt people while they least expect it. Well, for you, the trick is to expect these cyber-attacks and prepare.
How to protect yourself against cybercrime?
Do not just read this article and jump to the next without thinking of taking the next steps. Below, I give you some tips on how to improve your cyber security this holiday season.
Be aware of phishing scams.
Phishing scams are some of the most common scams on the internet. They are designed to steal your personal information like login credentials, social security numbers and credit card numbers. They usually work by asking you to verify your identity via a link to what looks like a legitimate website but is really an imposter website created by criminals. You will be asked to provide personal details that the criminals use to steal your identity or commit credit card fraud.
Therefore, don’t just click on links or open attachments from unknown sources. Always verify every email prompting you to enter your personal, private information. Fake websites are clones cleverly designed to fool you. For example, someone may clone your mobile provider’s website. Instead of it being, for example, immobile.com, they may remove one “m” and make it imobile.com.
The difference will be difficult to see. So, be diligent whenever verifying this information.
Keep your antivirus software up-to-date and run regular scans.
The internet is a beautiful thing for all of us. But it is often dubbed as “the dark spaces of the world” because it does have a dark side.
This is because it contains so many malicious people, who are just waiting to attack any website they can. These cyber villains are attracted to websites that contain information that can be used to exploit a computer or those that just have valuable information stored on them (such as credit card details).
Thus, securing your site with Antivirus software can help protect you against cybercrime.
Antivirus software works by scanning your PC and identifying any malware, viruses or spyware that is present on your computer. It does this by scanning all the files on your computer for known malicious software.
The moment antivirus software identifies a threat on your system, it eradicates it from the system using various techniques. Nowadays, antivirus software also includes features that can block malware from infecting your system in the first place.
Use strong passwords and keep them safe
As your accountability accountant, I cannot but stress the importance of having strong passwords and keeping them safe. You got emails and other accounts on social media. Passwords to all these must be strong and, if possible, use two-factor authentication.
Two-factor authentication (commonly abbreviated to 2FA) is an extra layer of security you can set up to verify your identity when making a login attempt on an online account. This means that in addition to providing your username and password, you’ll also have to input a unique code generated on a device you physically possess.
Thus, someone, who tries to log into your account without a physical device you possess (your cellphone) won’t make it.
To keep your passwords safe, do not write them on pieces of paper. Your mind is the safest place. However, do not use the same password for all your accounts. This is the temptation when you keep passwords in your mind.
However, if you run a business, you can create an excel sheet with passwords and store it in a secure online drive. This online drive should not be easily accessible by anyone else besides you.
Do not hire untrustworthy professionals who potentially handle personal information.
I had to leave the best for last – for obvious reasons! Yes, this also encompasses accountants and tax professionals, which I am part of.
If you hire an unethical professional to handle your private information, they may sell it to the highest bidder. For this reason, many taxpayers are surprised to learn that someone may have claimed their child before them. Such scams are rampant in this country.
As such, do not just hire someone to handle your taxes because they come cheap. Be diligent. Investigate them. Check their social media handles and see how long they have been in the game. Do not hire overnight professionals who can be traced to many States over the years.
This is because usually, shady professionals scam people in one location and quickly move to the next where they find new, unsuspecting people waiting. So, it is important to hire someone whose office has been in one city forever!!
In conclusion, the holiday season is here, make sure to put your online safety ahead of everything. Soon after we all put the holidays past us, in comes the tax season. This is when you will be hiring tax professionals to prepare your 2022 federal returns.
On the back of this, I recommend you hire a tax pro now. This gives you time to assess the right professional for you. It also gives you time to discuss your taxes before it’s already a tax-season rush.
If you need to hire a tax pro, talk to me today. You can call my office at +1 202-618-1297. You can also visit this LINK to book a quick tax chat with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is meant by cyber security?
Cyber Security refers to the collection of tools and policies deployed to protect an organization from online threats. It is often thought of in terms of “The 5 Pillars” – Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authentication, and Non-Repudiation.
- How can we improve cyber security?
To improve cyber security, an organization ought to enforce its five pillars, which are, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authentication, and Non-Repudiation.
- Why do we need to improve cyber security?
Without improving cyber security, organizations and individuals are under threat. Criminals may steal vital information that may bring an organization down. For example, patients visiting a therapist rely on strict confidentiality about matters discussed in sessions. But if criminals steal these session notes and publish them online, the therapist in question will be sued and lose their practice, thereby, stealing their livelihood while putting all patients in danger.
- What are the 5 types of cyber security?
Five types of cyber security are Critical infrastructure security, Application security, Network security, Cloud security, and Internet of Things (IoT) security.
