Sharks. Lightning. Spiders. Taxes.
The world can be a scary place. Luckily, we live in a modern age where we can combat most of the unlikely scary things that happen. But, what about the scary things that happen more regularly in our fast-moving, technology-driven world? According to www.cybintsolutions.com, hacker attacks happen every 39 seconds - meaning that ⅓ of Americans are affected every year. And 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error.
Now, that’s scary.
There are several things we can all do, however, to combat the scary things that happen behind your computer screen. One of the most important includes protecting your banking information.
One of the most important things you can do is keep track of your passwords and make them difficult to guess. That means you don’t recycle the same passwords across all of your social media sites, and especially not when it comes to protecting your banking and online accounts.
Since so many of our accounts are on multiple devices, it’s important to protect those devices as well. Have a lock on your phone, computer, or any other tablet or device. It might be a bit unnecessary in our everyday lives, but in the end, nothing beats that peace of mind.
If you’re not that good at remembering multiple passwords, it’s ok! There are websites that you can use to help you remember. Sites such as LastPass,1Password, and Dashlane keep all your passwords in one place and are easy to access when you need those passwords. That means you don’t need to keep track of all your passwords in a little black book that can get lost, it just means that you only have to worry about remembering one password instead of 20.
“One of the biggest problems we actually encounter is the fact that people save their passwords to their devices or certain websites,” said Gary Fossey, Vice President of Member Development at Allegius Credit Union. “They think that saving that information for later is beneficial when it’s not - if that computer or device gets compromised, then those passwords and personal information are stolen. And all that information is in the hands of the hackers. Always remember to make your passwords unique to you, easy to remember and change them often – say bi-annually.”
There are several other easy things you can do to make your life easier when it comes to online banking security. Make sure when you’re done accessing your banking information online, log out right away. That ensures that no one is looking over your shoulder, both in-person and online.
Another few ideas to consider include never opening suspicious emails, and trusting your gut is key. Chances are you’re not about to win a million dollars. Using websites that aren’t secured means you’re not that protected either, which also applies to Wi-fi networks. If it isn’t legit or secured, don’t access your personal information unless you can help it. The Wi-fi networks you might use while you're at a coffee shop or library probably aren’t the safest - instead access your private information in the safety of your own home, where you know the password and know who has access to your network.
Another excellent choice is downloading antivirus software for your computer. There are several different choices from buying software through a business or just enabling ad-block on your personal computer. Both are great choices and will help you in your day-to-day web surfing. Keeping your software up to date when prompted is another way to make sure your computer is better prepared for use.
Another key point is not taking everything literally.
“Often, when people have a username and password, you’re given a few security questions to help remember if you forget,” said Fossey. “You don’t have to be so obvious! Make it harder for hackers to guess, for example: if the question asks, ‘what school did you go to’, you can literally respond: ‘Iwenttoexamplepreschool’. You can change the question to your benefit.”
With these tips and making sure that you monitor your banking information, we can all be safe online!
You can find more information about online security tips from Allegius Credit Union at
https://www.allegius.org/advice-planning/online-security-tips.html and for more information on Allegius Credit Union and who they are, please check out their website at https://www.allegius.org/