Each October, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office proudly supports Cybersecurity Awareness Month, organized by the National Cybersecurity Alliance to remind Americans to stay safe in cyberspace. This year’s theme – “Don’t make it easy on them” – encourages consumers to proactively “make life difficult for cybercriminals.” Cybercriminals can gain access to your personal information via data breaches, dark web monitoring, or personal data brokering.
Here are some tactics to keep your online identity safe:
- Use long, strong unique passwords: Scammers often use password-cracking software and artificial intelligence to test thousands of password combinations per second. One way to fight back: Create obstacles that the common scammer will struggle to overcome.
- Long, randomly generated passwords are much harder for cybercriminals to crack. Make passwords at least 16 characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (such as #, !, :, or @). Every password needs to be unique; don’t reuse passwords across accounts, apps, or programs. A password manager can help you securely store the unique passwords for all your accounts, many times across multiple devices.
- Use multifactor authentication (MFA): Turn on MFA for every account. MFA adds a layer of security beyond a password only – such as a code sent to your phone or email. It protects your account even if your password is stolen.
- Many scammers hack into accounts that aren’t using MFA by getting passwords off the dark web and through data breaches. Some breaches result in passwords being published all over the internet through automated software. Using an authenticator app or biometrics (such as fingerprints or facial recognition) whenever possible can help secure your data.
- Update your software: Fraudsters love to find potential victims among computer users with outdated internet browsers, operating systems, and apps. Regularly install software updates for your operating systems, browsers, and apps to ensure that your devices have the most updated security. Turn on automatic updates everywhere you can, and restart your device when required to buy an update.
- Beware of phishing scams: Some scammers pretend to be your bank or a government agency to “phish” for your personal information, often asking you to update or confirm your account by providing a bank account number, password, or Social Security number.
- Never respond to unexpected requests for your personal information. Neither your bank nor the Internal Revenue Service will ever request your personal information by phone or e-mail. Be extremely skeptical of unexpected messages, especially those that seem urgent (look for wording that is used to instill fear and pressure). Take time to review all communications. If you see a potential phishing scam, don’t click or respond. Delete any text or email messages that you suspect are part of a phishing scam. Let calls from unknown phone numbers go to voicemail or an answering machine.
- Limit what you share online: The more personal information a scammer has about you, the greater the scammer’s chances of success. Not only can a scammer who has personal details about you seem more legitimate, but the scammer could use personal information to reset your password questions. For example, something as simple as posting where you work could entice a scammer to pretend to be your employer. Additionally, identifying someone as your mother on social media may allow a scammer to know your mother’s maiden name, which is often used as a password reset question.
Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, be sure to apply the above tips to make life hard for the scammers and put obstacles in their way.
Consumers who suspect a scam or an unfair business practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.