
Cybersecurity
Consider Yourself a Target
The fact is, you’re a target whether you think so or not. Don’t ever assume that it won’t happen to you. We are all at risk on the Internet and the stakes are extremely high. It’s even something that can protect the University’s reputation. Not only for your personal information but also for your financial health.
Cybersecurity is something that is everyone’s responsibility. By using the tips in this article, you’ll be doing your part in not only protecting yourself but also those you connect with. It is a good idea to speak to any remote workers about their cyber security, read more in this article from Barclay Simpson UK.
Keep Everything Updated
You need to ensure that you are keeping all of your devices updated. Updates come out for operating systems and software that patch vulnerabilities and security flaws. You need to be certain that you are installing them as soon as they are released. The best thing you can do to get your updates sooner rather than later is to set your devices to automatically install. You should also be using browsers that release regular updates. Try to use a popular browser like Firefox or Chrome that gets regular support and frequent updates.
Avoid Phishing Scams
One thing you should be doing is be vigilant against phishing. There are a lot of phishing attempts that are getting better and better. These phishing attempts are getting harder to identify because they are getting more personal and they are using more information than ever before. Avoid giving any personal information without knowing who you are talking to. Likewise, don’t click on any links that ask for personal information. Instead, go directly to your bank or credit card’s website and call the number that’s listed.
A user should check secured padlock and HTTPS before browsing the website. Many scammers trick users into clicking a fake website. A site holder for example, having subdomains should try cheap wildcard SSL certificate, which can secure multiple subdomains. A site owner should ask SSL providers about the type of SSL for a website.
When a customer’s personal information is breached, it typically costs them several hundred dollars, at the very least. Companies can use customer identity and access management (CIAM) to reduce the risk of account takeover, but being aware of phishing scams is still important
Practice Good Password Management
The fact is, you cannot remember all of your passwords. That is, you can’t do so while using good and unique passwords for every account. We have too many accounts and reusing passwords is a no-no. This is what makes it so important to get a password manager. Getting a password manager is going to solve one of the biggest problems that people have which is poor password management. By using a password manager, you will be able to leverage the software to create better passwords for you and it will allow you to have access to all of them with one strong master key. UC Berkely gives away free LastPass Premium which is one of the top password managers available.
Continue reading this article if you want detailed information on what you should be doing to keep your password(s) safe and secure.
Pay Attention To What You Click
Don’t visit websites that look suspicious. Stick to domains that you recognize. Also, you’ll want to avoid downloading from any site that is unknown or untrusted. Typically, you’ll find these sites have malicious intent and they will have software that can automatically install silently and cause your computer to become compromised.
If you find there are links in an email or even attachments, never click on them. Don’t open emails that have attachments from unknown senders.
Don’t Leave Your Devices Unattended
The physical security of your devices is just as important to lock down as their technical security. If you ever find that you need to leave your mobile device or laptop, you will want to use a screensaver password. That way, someone would need to input a password to get into it. If you keep sensitive data on a pluggable device, ensure that you have password encryption on it. This will keep your data safe if you happened to misplace or lose it. Always switch off decices when finished. This can also save your business energy
Safeguard Your Data
Always be wary of the fact that Protected Data you come into contact with can have restrictions. Review the various UCB Data Classification Standard to get a good understanding of the data protection requirements. You will want to:
– Protect High-Level Data
Keep any important data protected including student records, health info, credit cards, and SSNs. Always keep this information off your devices.
– Remove Sensitive Files
When you’re done with any sensitive files that contain sensitive data, you should remove them completely. This doesn’t mean throwing them into the recycling bin. Instead, you should be removing them and deleting them completely. Use encryption whenever you are looking to either transmit or store data.