Let’s outsmart cyber frauds with some easy-to-learn detective skills.
Welcome to the second part of our series on maintaining Cyber Security for yourself and your business. Yesterday, we went over the most common cyber fraud attacks and email scams that have been plaguing the internet recently.
Today we will go over more ways to detect and avoid cyber fraud in an effort to protect your financial information.
HOW TO AVOID CYBER FRAUD
1. NEVER Provide Personal Information Through A Link or Phone Number Provided in a Suspicious Email –
As discussed in Cyber Security Part 1: Be Aware of Cyber Fraud and Email Scams: rather than following a link within an email, make it a point to always type the entity’s website name directly into the address bar or search for the legitimate website through a browser like Google or Bing. You can also find the business contact information on your statements or any official correspondence from the company. This way you can make sure you are logging onto the business website directly and not through a phony website.
2. HTTPS is Best –
Whenever you are providing financial information specifically, take a look at the address bar and make sure the first five letters of the web address say “https” as opposed to just “http”. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and signifies that the information you provide will be secure and encrypted so that it will not be intercepted by a third party.
3. Call the Bank or Entity Directly –
If you get an email and you are concerned of it’s authenticity, call the bank or entity directly and tell them about it. They will be able to look up your account and verify if there is more information needed.
4. Only Open Attachments From Known Senders –
Files sent from unknown senders may contain viruses.
5. Be Aware of Scare Tactics –
Scammers will create a sense of urgency to encourage you to act quickly without thinking your decision through. If you are suspicious, slow down, think and trust your instincts.
Thank you for reading our blog and if you are concerned about the risk of Cyber Fraud, contact Mackoul & Associates at (516) 431-9100 and ask how you can protect yourself or your business.
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