How to prevent cyber security attacks

Malicious hackers use tactics that appeal to fear, urgency, curiosity or greed. Once hackers have accessed your data, they can charge your credit cards, steal photos and videos, impersonate you, drain your bank account, compromise your network or withhold your information until you pay them a ransom.

Watch out for phishing attacks

Phishing has become alarmingly common in recent years. According to Cisco, 80% of the ransomware attacks it observed in 2022 began with a phishing email. And CompTIA reported a 48% rise in phishing attacks during the first half of 2022.

The following are some ways you can mitigate your vulnerability and reduce cyber attacks:  

• Be creative with the naming convention of your email address. Uncommon email addresses will make it more difficult for hackers to send you phishing emails.
• Pay close attention to hyperlinks, content and the email domain. All are opportunities to identify red flags like grammatical errors, misspellings or the use of numbers rather than letters.
• If you are unfamiliar with the source of the email, voice message or text message, do not respond, open or click on anything.
• Be cautious of pop-up windows.
• Avoid sharing personal data over text messages or emails.
• Be skeptical of communication with emotional lures, like “I’m in jail and need Amazon gift cards.” No one posts bail with gift cards.
• Update your browser frequently. When you implement the latest features and security fixes, you’re better protected from known security issues and you get added protection from viruses, phishing, scams and other cyber threats.

Protect your password

Hackers will attempt to gain access to your personal and financial information using several techniques to attack your passwords. One of these is the brute-force attack, which is when a hacker systematically discovers your password using combinations of letters, numbers and symbols (e.g., %*#$@).

To safeguard your passwords from brute-force attacks, you should create passwords that are complex and long (a minimum of 12 characters recommended) and avoid using common words. A password combination of letters, numbers and special characters is ideal.

Another technique hackers use is the dictionary attack, where attackers try to steal your password using preselected lists of dictionary words, often beginning with commonly used words.

The solution? Avoid using common words in your passwords, and include upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters when permitted. Also, consider implementing the following:

• Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
• Stay away from using patterns or common passwords such as 123456, 654321,  or 111111 for passwords. Similarly, eschew the use of adjacent characters, such as qwerty.
• Use a password manager to store your passwords securely. We often use passwords we will remember, but they may be easier for hackers to crack. Creating strong passwords that can be stored securely and that we do not have to remember is a more reliable solution.
• Change your passwords regularly, including your Wi-Fi password.
• Use biometric scans such as fingerprint or facial recognition when available.
• Do not use personal information such as your name, birthday or street name in your passwords.
• Avoid dictionary words.