One of the things that amazes me when I’m connecting with people is how many of us get calls from scammers trying to get one thing or another business and personal. Another thing that astounds me is how many people are willing to give up their information, or click on unknown links without thinking, leaving themselves vulnerable. They wonder why they get scam calls, or worse viruses on their devices. Is this YOU?
I heard about a scam a few weeks ago where a couple potentially lost $500,000. Scams have become much worse over the last number of years. Where do they get their target lists? We could speculate, there are lots of possibilities. One of the keys to stay off lists is to protect yourself and your business in the first place. No one thing can affect 100% protection, no matter how hard we try. Common sense and layers of protection are the answer. At the end of the day, be sensible.
When you think about it, many of the scam calls don’t make sense. If you win $100,000, they’re not going to tell you in a text. The old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” and a good guide to live by. The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are not going to send you instructions or arrest you via robocall. The old adage “Don’t believe everything you hear” works here.
Did you know October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month?
Let’s talk about how to keep your information more secure and protect yourself. There are well-known cautions such as;
- Don’t click on links that you don’t know or recognize. Whether on your phone, via email, or social media, if you don’t know where it came from don’t trust it no matter how great the deal.
- Be cautious of websites that have HTTP vs HTTPS. The difference is the presence of an SSL certificate with “https”. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection which encrypts your information so your connection is secure.
- Use secure passwords, keep your password protected. This is one of the simplest things to do, yet it is interesting how many people do not make their passwords effective or protected. Did you know 13% of Americans reported reusing their password across all their accounts in 2019. (Google), and 43% of Americans have shared their password with someone.
One of the great tools I use for password security is LastPass, I can’t speak enough about this tool. LastPass is a freemium password manager that stores encrypted passwords online. The standard version of LastPass comes with a web interface, but also includes plugins for various web browsers and apps for many smartphones. Whether I’m on my phone, laptop or PC it works seamlessly. LastPass can autofill passwords, and information while keeping everything secure and controlled by one master password. No more having to remember passwords or figure out new ones. LastPass also allows you to generate new passwords of various lengths, and tracks them to let you know if you duplicate, or have less secure entries. If you want peace of mind this is one of the tools to achieve that.
LastPass is sharing tips for you for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. You can check them out here.
Don’t be one of the 24% of Americans who have used the word “password,” “Qwerty” or “123456” as their password, or one of 75% of Americans who say they feel frustrated trying to maintain and keep track of their passwords.
Use LastPass password-generator to protect yourself and your business. The total average cost of a data breach in smaller companies with less than 500 employees was $2.35 million in 2020, but smaller companies have a higher average cost per employee. (IBM).
While you’re implementing password protection for your business, here is some extra guidance to help you grow your business as well.
Disclaimer: I am not a cybersecurity or fraud expert. The scenarios above are provided for information purposes only. Should you have specific concerns or questions please contact an expert or professional in cybersecurity.
