Tag Archives: cyber security

Best Practices for Protecting Your Data

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Over the years, cyber hacking has been on the rise – nearly doubling from 2016 to 2017. Out of all of those attacks, 93% of all breaches in 2017 could have been avoided with simple cyber hygiene practices according to Online Trust Alliance. That’s why we’ve decided to give you some updates on the latest cyber security practices!

Don’t Click It

Hackers are getting sneakier as to where they place their bugs. You may know not to trust a strange email from someone you don’t know, but what happens when you get an email from your university or a trusted place of business? Hackers have the ability to make their emails look more like something you could trust from a local business compared to the strange phishing emails you may be used to looking out for. Be extra cautious when reading through emails – and don’t click any links or download files if you weren’t expecting that in an email.

Turn On Two-Factor

Two-factor authentication gives you a second layer of protection if your data does get hacked. Many programs and devices offer this authentication choice, so use it whenever possible. This significantly increases your chances of staying safe from a cyber-security hack.

Restrict Oversharing

By putting too much information on your sites, a hacker can use that data to hack into an account through your security questions. If you post about your adorable dog, Fido, chances are that dog’s name is in your password or security question. Also try to avoid posting your address, phone number, full name and so forth, as all of that can be used against you.

Generate Multiple Emails

We’ve all heard not to have the same password for everything – and we know many of you are still guilty of that. However, you may have not heard about having different emails for separate reasons. A good rule of thumb is to create three separate emails: one for strictly banking, another for emails to friends and family and one for all your stores and shopping coupons. This will help block hackers from getting into all your different accounts and finding personal data.

Install Ad Blockers

On any web browsers you use, be sure to install ad blockers or turn on your pop-up blockers. This will help save you from trying to X out of something and getting a virus that came up when you were searching online. Having any potential ads blocked will help keep your computer clean and your data safe!

We hope these new practices help protect your data from potential hackers. If you have any questions about your information being safe with us – no need to worry! We’re proud of our security practices and hope you will be able to say the same after making a few improvements.

Protecting Older Americans Against the Top Scam: IRS Impersonations

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No age group is immune to scams. It can happen to any age group, income level and gender. Scammers are no respecter to persons when it comes to getting your money. However, seniors should be protective of their finances, as they are more likely to have significant life savings and great credit. They also may be unsure of who to report fraud to, or don’t out of shame. This makes them a great target for scams. Unfortunately, the top scam among older Americans is IRS Impersonations.

Why IRS Impersonations?

  • Taxes and money are linked, so being able to access someone’s tax account gives them extensive amounts of highly personal information.
  • This information can be serviced into capital.

Telephone Scams

They may receive a phone call from the scammer, claiming to be from the IRS. They will give a fake name, badge number and even call from a Washington area code so they seem more legitimized.  This is called Caller-ID spoofing. They say they are following up on letters sent by mail and threaten arrest, home foreclosure or deportation for immigrants if they are not paid. Seniors should be aware that the IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will they ask for credit card information over the phone. These scare tactics are working far too well, so education, not shaming, is needed to prevent victimization. If they receive a suspicious call, hang up and call the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s Fraud Hotline at 1-855-303-9470.

Text Messages

Unfortunately, text messages seem to be more trusted than email.  Scams by text are called smishing. Some criminals may only have access to the internet through their smartphone, so they will use this to target other phones as well. They may even send a link to a fraudulent site to intake your private information like a social security number so they can steal your identity.

Here is an example of what a text might say:

“IRS NOTICE: Your Tax Return is overdue! Click here to prevent penalty by law.”

Email Phishing

This term means the scammers are fishing for information through email, conning people into thinking they are someone they are not. The emails look like they have the branding of the IRS and they are leading to a legitimate website. They might request the same information that is requested by phone, but might be more prone to believe the emails to be valid with the fake IRS branding.

Key Takeaways:

Inform your loved ones of these IRS facts:

  • The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment.
  • They will never threaten to immediately arrest.
  • You will never be told that the taxes must be paid without the opportunity to appeal the amount owed.
  • They will never ask for payment information over the phone.

Data has shown that increased knowledge on scams makes a difference, so share this information with your loved ones, creating a safe place of discussion and education!

Common Cyber-Security Threats While Traveling

Whether you are traveling for work or pleasure, the last thing you want to battle with is having your cyber-security compromised. If knowledge is power, Timberwood Bank has created a list of potential threats to your private information and steps to prevent damage while away from home.

Before You Go

Along with remembering to pack a toothbrush, you should also prepare your devices for travel. You should ensure all updates are completed. This will make your systems harder for hackers to penetrate.

You may consider backing up your information on cloud storage. You would hate to have forever lost important documents and photos. Should your information become compromised, having these copies of your private information will be useful. We would also recommend changing all of your passwords prior to leaving and again when you return. It is also extremely important, especially when traveling abroad, to let Timberwood Bank know where you will be traveling and when.

While You’re There

Unfortunately, you are at higher risk the more you travel and use the internet abroad. However, this shouldn’t stop you should you use the proper precautions from these threats.

While convenient, public wireless networks are not secure. Nevertheless, if you need to connect, be sure it is a legitimate network by verifying the account with employees. However, your mobile connection is going to be more secure. You are going to want to turn off auto-connect for WIFI and Bluetooth as well. If you are able, purchase a VPN  (Virtual Private Network), so you have peace of mind while surfing the web. We would recommend staying away from public computers-even the hotel and library. You cannot trust that these are on secure networks, and that Keylogger Malware is not present.

To many people’s dismay, you are being watched in ways like never before. You should get into the habit of guarding yourself at all times. When traveling to fun places, it is tempting to share your location. But waiting to share this information is best, so hackers don’t follow where you are, and maybe even make their way up to your hotel room to take your computer when they know you’re away. This is another reason why you might consider eating meals outside the normal hours, as that is when most hotel thefts occur.

You can’t avoid purchases while on the road, but be aware of ATM skimmers, point of sale compromises and hidden cameras. ATM skimmers have been on the news frequently. If you can avoid using this altogether by sticking to credit cards or Apple Pay on the road, it may make the experience easier. Business card readers may be compromised or a hidden camera could be tracking your pin input, so it’s important to always be aware.

We hope that these tips have informed you to be a cyber-secure traveler. For more information about anti-fraud services, please stop by and speak with our helpful staff!

The Digital Age: Social Media Security for Parents

The rise of digital communication has been a tremendous benefit to all ages. It has changed the way we communicate and the expanse of who we communicate with. With all of the doors this technology has opened, it has created an increasing burden on parents to shelter and protect their kids in ways they’ve never had to before.

Nearly 75 percent of teens have or have access to a smartphone and 92 percent go online daily.  71 percent utilize more than one social networking site. With figures as high as these, parents want to be aware of the stakes and safeguards for their children.

Communication

Most experts agree that having open communication with your kids is one of the best security measures you can take. Let them know from an early age what is and isn’t acceptable. Remind them of these values by having consistent conversations with them about their social media habits. Creating an open space for them to speak honestly will help to establish reciprocal trust. This will also enable you to be on the alert of there is cyber-bullying happening.

Educate

While it may seem like your kids know more than you when it comes to technology, that doesn’t mean that they understand the responsibilities and risks that come with using social media. Remind them that there is such thing as “too much information” and what is posted online is forever.  Even when sites like Reddit which give the users the ability to remain anonymous, there is always a way to find out who they are. Alert them of potential scams, legal accountability and to refrain from completing questionnaires or giveaways, as most of them are seeking access to their personal information. The “don’t talk to strangers,” adage should still hold true online. Kids need to be aware of phishing scams and that they are a target because of their age.

Precautions

There are ways in which you can safeguard your children. Update their privacy settings frequently and make sure they create strong passwords and share them with you. Depending on the age, it would be wise to only let them have access to the computer when adults are around. Facebook has a minimum age restriction (13) for a reason. It can get tricky when it comes to mobile devices, but establishing a cut off time for electronics is a good way to safeguard their nightly web surfing. Only 55 percent of parents limit their child’s screen time. With parental assistance programs like Net Nanny and Mobile Watchdog, you are able to monitor internet usage without having to constantly look over their shoulder-something nobody likes!

Involvement

Finally, one of the best ways to keep your children safe is like any other hobby they are interested in – get involved! It is critical that parents become familiar with the social platforms their children are using. Even if you are not tech-savvy, get those apps downloaded and follow your kids! Awareness and education will keep you prepared for knowing the risks your children face in the digital age.

Web Security for Small Business Owners – What You Need to Know

It’s a typical day for a local real estate agent, until the click of an email threatens the entire business. Large corporations, small businesses and as shown in recent days, not even the government is immune to cyber attacks.

Why it’s Important

If you’re a small business owner, you may think you are too small for cybercriminals. However, the opposite is true as they don’t particularly care about the size of the data, but the value. If you have customer’s contact information, health data, credit card information or intellectual property- they want it now. Did you know that 43 percent of cyber attacks target small business, and that normal hacks to operations cost an average of $955,429 to recover? It’s of the utmost importance that your customers feel they can trust you with their information and that you follow through on that trust. Cybercrime is becoming the world’s largest business, and here is what you can do to protect your business -even if you don’t have a lot of room in your budget for security measures.

1). Tight Communication

You may not have the ability to provide each of your employees with their own technology devices, which means they may use personal devices for company use. This can open you up to many potential risks. You may want to create guidelines for using these devices and ensure that they are regularly updating passwords and following through on security updates. Fax is still the most secure form of communication in the business world-don’t be afraid to still utilize this!

2). An Action Plan

Create a simple security plan and share it with all of your employees, so they know that everyone is responsible for protecting data. It is worth the investment to hire an IT consultant to be monitoring your protocols, but if you cannot do that at this time, designate a current employee to oversee this. They should be informed, oversee basic security requirements and ensure the requirements are updated and used. 60 percent of businesses don’t survive a security attack. For the longevity of your business, it is incredibly important to take this seriously. Use the FCC’s helpful Cyber Planner here.

3). Strong Passwords, Patching & Encryption Software

Most business stay ahead of the game by simply creating secure passwords and patching their systems. Patching fixes security vulnerabilities with bug fixes and improving performance. Hackers can easily crack into your business through a weak web or email server.  As a small business, setting up a Virtual Private Server would be a terrific option combined with encryption software. So even if a hacker was able to get into your system, they wouldn’t be able to decipher the material. An additional layer of security for clients would be to adopt Paypal or Square for protecting your customer’s financial information.

4). Educate

Unfortunately, most security breaches are due to a negligent employee or contractor. This reiterates how important it is to hire people you trust. Although you may not be able to thwart off every threat, educating your employees about cyber security either through weekly articles or full courses will help to better protect your growing small business. These practices should be integrated across all areas of your operations as well as having a response plan if this does occur. Remember, nobody is safe from Cyber crime.

 

Cyber Security 101 – Learning the Basics to Keep Yourself Protected

Welcome to Cyber Security 101. Grab your pen and paper, it’s time to take some notes about cyber security! While there won’t be a test at the end, there are real-world consequences to disregarding your online security. You wouldn’t want your personal information in the hands of the wrong person.

With so much to think about, you’re probably wondering where you’re supposed to start. Luckily for you, Timberwood Bank is here to school you in all things cyber security.

Careful Clicking – Between social media, websites and emails, we’re clicking on things all the time. Sometimes these links can be associated with what’s called “phishing attacks.” This is a tactic used to gather your personal data, like passwords and credit card numbers. Most of the time this type of attack occurs within an email. That’s why it’s critical to verify email addresses from trusted entities you know. Never open documents from these unusual email senders.

Password Protection – Creating complex passwords may seem like a no-brainer but about 35 percent of users have weak passwords and about 65 percent of passwords could be cracked. The goal should be to make it something that’s unrelated to you, so not using your birthday, your dog’s name, etc. We suggest using a password generator, or even making your password a sentence.

We understand you log into numerous accounts daily, and you can’t possibly remember all of these unique passwords. Even though your password list could be three feet long, you should never write them on a sticky note and perch them on your computer screen. Check out password management apps to help you keep all of your passwords in order.

Savvy Shopping

Online shopping continues to grow and is more enticing with offers like free shipping, online exclusive products and sales. With such a shift in purchasing habits, our security habits should also be changing. You should only be shopping on secure sites, which can be identified by the “https” at the start of the web address. If there’s no “s”, the site is not encrypted and your information may not be secure.

Another way to protect yourself is to never give more information than required. If they don’t ask for your phone number or address, do not provide it. This information could fall into the wrong hands. Always be sure to read their privacy policy so you know where your information is going and how it’s being used.

Staying Up to Date

If you don’t already, now is the perfect time to get an antivirus or antimalware software program for your internet accessible devices. These programs work to protect your devices and help you stay ahead of any attempts to break security on your computer.

For those who have a security program in place, make sure you’re updating the software regularly. Software companies are constantly working to fight potential security risks, so whenever there’s an update available take the time to download it.

We hope you took some great notes and are ready to tackle all things cyber security. By taking these few steps you can help protect yourself from a world of trouble and inconvenience. If you have any more questions about cyber security, contact us today. We’d be happy to answer your questions. Class dismissed!

 

Tips for Cyber-Security When it comes to Your Mobile Device

Odds are you’re probably reading this blog post on your cell phone, which you found through an app on your smartphone and then used it to get directions to Timberwood Bank. Seventy-seven percent of Americans now own a smartphone and use it on a daily basis. With so many people accessing, searching and downloading things on their cell phones, are we really using the same caution and protection we would use when it comes to our computers? Odds also are, you’re not. With a few tips, you can start better protecting your smartphone from things like data theft, malware and privacy invasion.

Needed Protection: You may be wondering what exactly needs to be protected when it comes to your smartphone. Luckily, they can be broken down into three categories.

1. Device Protection – In case your phone was ever stolen, this kind of protection would wipe all information and data from your phone, which is beneficial if you utilize mobile or online banking.

2. Data Protection – This protection was designed to keep work information from place of employment from being spread to your personal apps.

3. App-Management Security – Having login information, credit card information and other personal information within apps should be protected from falling into the wrong hands. App-management security does just that.

Trusted Apps: Not all apps are created equal. Since it’s becoming increasingly easier for third-parties to create apps this means there are more apps out there than there’s ever been. One way to help protect yourself is to only download apps from the trusted app store. You should also review existing apps’ privacy policies and settings for permissions.

Public Wi-Fi: One thing you should know is public Wi-Fi is generally not secure. Hackers can get in-between you and the Wi-Fi connection point and when you’re submitting information on your phone you’re actually sending it to the hacker. It’s recommended to protect yourself using a VPN, which encrypts your data, essentially scrambling the information.

Jailbreaking Phones: While it may seem like the cool thing to do to format your phone without the factory standards, you’re actually setting your phone for several security risks. One of those risks is Malware and loss of personal information.

We hope these tips can better protect you and your smartphone. There are several companies that can protect your mobile devices, including Norton Mobile Security and McAfee Mobile Security. If you have any questions or concerns about you protecting yourself, we encourage you to contact us. Our team would love to assist you.

 

Teaching Your Children the Basics of Online Security

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If you’re like many parents in the United States, your preteens and teenagers may be running circles around you when it comes to utilizing the latest technology. Whether that’s Facebook’s latest updates, new iPhone technology, or the latest app hitting the scene, the amount of new knowledge and innovation seems endless. For your growing adults, this may look more like an endless playground than a minefield, but at times it can be both. To help your children use technology while still remaining safe we recommend these simple suggestions:

Passwords are important. Instead of defaulting to the same password for every account, explain to your son or daughter why they should have a complex password for each separate account. Leary cyber criminals are able to gain access to all your accounts instead of only one when they discover the passwords are all the same. The strongest passwords contain lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Great apps like LastPass can help to store all current passwords in addition to creating stronger password options.

Privacy matters. On Facebook and most other social media outlets, there are always options to make your profile private or public. For children, and adults, we strongly recommend keeping your personal online profile private. While you and your children can connect with friends and other known acquaintances, it can become dangerous to push your information out to anyone who wants to read it. For instance, if you post about leaving for a family vacation, and the profile is set to public, potential thieves could now view your home as an easy target while you’re away.

Don’t talk to strangers. Just as you had the “Stranger danger,” discussion with your son or daughter when they were younger, this message follows a similar point, but within the chat rooms and friend requests online. While in an ideal world, we wouldn’t face issues like catfishing or cyberbullying, the truth is that these actions can cause real world issues and aren’t always left online. To keep and promote in-person communication, remind them of the importance of speaking with friends and family outside of the web, and if they ever do need someone to talk to you and your family are always there to listen.

Only use secure wifi. After school, your teen may head to a part-time job or extracurricular. If they’ll be going away from your home or school, be sure to encourage them to steer clear of unsecure wifi. While many afterschool hotspots offer free wifi for customers, often there may be potential cybercriminals broadcasting a false signal. These unsecure signals can give them access to your child’s computer if the wifi is accepted. The criminal could then access personal information, passwords, or hold the computer access for ransom. To avoid situations like this, instruct your teen or preteen to only use wifi at home and at school unless you have approved of an additional location such as the library.

Teach your children how to use the internet responsibly, and perhaps they can show you how to capitalize on the creative and efficiency tools it offers. At Timberwood Bank, we think that family is one of the most valuable parts of life and we want to help your family grow. If you’d like to start a checking or saving account for your teen or preteen, stop in today, we’d love to help you get started.

Keep Cyber Monsters at Bay for Cyber Security Month

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Ghosts and goblins are spooky, but know what really sends chills down the spine? Cyberattacks. Last year, nearly one million computer viruses and malicious software pieces were unleashed each day. October is Cyber Security Month, and Timberwood Bank is giving you a couple of treats to avoid sneaky hackers’ tricks.

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