Cyberthreats

Scammers. Hackers. Fraudsters. A new term, social engineers, is another name for the people who make a living out of manipulating someone’s trust and grabbing all they can, with no remorse. It makes you wonder about the level of security around you. The internet is a magical place, but where there is light, there is darkness. And the dark web is where these people exist and hone their hacking craft, to steal from innocent and unsuspecting victims.

I can speak from recent experience how detrimental it can be, not only financially (at the time), but mentally too. Trust flies out the window when you have no clue as to how it happened; even when you do piece it together. Everything about how you view others is changed. The core mentality of how you view the world gets, I think the term is ‘jaded.’ I don’t think it is ever good to remain completely ‘jaded,’ but instead become more aware and truly listen to your gut.

Amongst other things, having more knowledge on the subject of cyber security is an absolute must, in my opinion, because more and more of this is happening every day. These hackers, fraudsters, scammers, identity thieves aren’t stopping so we shouldn’t either. Technology is going to be in our future one way or another so why not learn some things to possibly help before it happens to you too.

I would like to share some very helpful tips and tricks with you all.

First and foremost: If a bank, credit union, credit card company, IRS, x, y, z calls you to speak about your account, fraudulent charges, anything encompassing your personal information, tell them you need to call them back. Hang up! Call the institution that called you back by a number you know to be associated with that institution. It’s also a good habit to write down the name of the caller, where they said they were calling from and the number that they called you from. This alone can save you a lot of the mess that can come afterward.

Second: Make sure your passwords are secure and not all the same. I know it is difficult to have all different passwords, but figure out a system that works for you. Write them down and put that in a secure location for your eyes only. Now in browsers you have the option to save passwords; that can be hacked too. I say use caution when using that, make sure then the account that holds all of your passwords (whether Apple or Google) is secure and check if any breaches happen frequently.

Third, well second and two thirds: Make sure your home network is secure and that any internet that your connect to is secure as well. There are numerous websites that can give you the proper information about how to set up a secure network and VPN.

I now have to part ways with you all. I hope this was a helpful column this week and who knows, maybe doing some of these things could save you from being a victim. I just keep remembering that Karma is a thing. Peace y’all.

Seeking

W

onder