Cyber Security News
Don't be fooled...Internet Criminals
July 11, 2016
"Internet Criminals are using fresh news of big data breaches
(like Wendy's last week) to send people threatening emails. These
emails claim the criminals have confidential information about you
that they will send to your employer, friends and family using
social media. They threaten with possible divorce, court
proceedings, losing your job, or worse.
If you get emails like this, delete them immediately. Do not
click on any links in the email, do not open attachments that claim
to show your confidential information, do not reply to them, and
definitely do not send any money in any form, whether they want
checks, wire transfers or payment in a new e-currency like Bitcoin."
The FBI published some very helpful tips to protect yourself online:
- Do not open e-mail or attachments from unknown individuals.
- Monitor your bank account statements regularly, as well and as your credit report at least once a year for any fraudulent activity.
- Do not communicate with the cyber criminals.
- Do not store sensitive or embarrassing photos of yourself online or on your mobile devices.
- Use strong passwords and do not use the same password for multiple websites.
- Never provide personal information of any sort via e-mail. Be aware, many e-mails requesting your personal information appear to be legitimate.
- Ensure security settings for social media accounts are turned on and set at the highest level of protection.
- When providing personally identifiable information, credit card information, or other sensitive information to a website, ensure the transmission is secure by verifying the URL prefix includes https, or the status bar displays a “lock” icon.