Showing posts with label Online Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online Safety. Show all posts

Protecting Yourself from Fraud on Black Friday

11/25/2015 12:45:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And for a lot of people that means gearing up for the big Black Friday sales. However, recent events have a lot of people wonder how safe it is to shop - both online and in person. So how can you stay safe and enjoy all those savings? We have some tips for you. This week we'll be talking about shopping in person on Black Friday. Next week we'll discuss staying safe when shopping online on Cyber Monday.



Cash Only
The fool-proof way to avoid identity theft or fraud when shopping is to use cash. Many people swear by cash only, saying it no only protects them from fraud but from overspending as well. However, this isn't always feasible for everyone. It can be a different kind of dangerous to carry around enough cash for the big purchases that are often made on Black Friday.


Use Credit Card instead of Debit

Using a credit card  versus a debit card can offer more protection if you are hacked when shopping online. Under the Fair Credit Bill, consumers are responsible for up to $50 of fraudulent charges. Some banks offer similar protection if you use their debit cards, but it's not the same at every bank. It can change if you don't catch it and report it within a certain time-frame. So if you're purchasing big ticket items it can be safer to use a credit card.

Don't have a credit card? Many debit cards are now supported by Visa. This gives you the same rights as a Visa credit card holder. That means you can choose to run it as credit at the store and have more protection. Remember this can mean that your purchases may not show up on your account right away.




Use Common Sense

  • Like most things in life, common sense can be your best defense. 
  • Don't use your card at machines where the card slot looks loose or damaged. This can mean that someone has been tampering with the machine. 
  • Keep your card and cash in a secure location. Pickpockets are prevalent during the holiday season. 
  • Don't leave your purse unattended. We know, this one seems like a no-brainer, but it can be easy to get distracted and step away from your cart for 'just a minute.' 
  • Check your bank account before and after you shop and monitor it closely for a few days after.
Image found here. 

Don't miss next week's blog when we discuss tips for staying safe while shopping online - just in time for Cyber Monday! 

If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Protecting yourself from fraud on Cyber Monday

11/26/2014 11:00:00 AM Amanda, End User Support Technician
It's Thanksgiving week and once the turkey induced naps are over many people's thoughts turn to just one thing:  Shopping! But Black Friday isn't the only day to get great deals, in the past few years a new shopping day has become popular - Cyber Monday. This is the new trend of online retailers offering big sales the Monday after Thanksgiving. Many people choose to wait to buy big ticket electronic items on Cyber Monday instead of fighting the crowds in stores on Black Friday. Just like any other time you make an online purchase, it's important to follow a few simple rules to stay safe. 

Image source

Use Credit or PayPal

Most online retailers require a credit card or a credit card endorsed debit card (like a Visa CheckCard) in order to make a purchase. However, some sites will allow you to pay with your checking account. It's best to run transactions as credit. As we covered last week, credit card companies offer more protection against fraud than many banks. 

Use only reputable sites

When buying anything online, it is important to make sure you're buying it from a well known and well respected seller. That means either from the website of a store, preferably one with a location near you in case something goes wrong, or from sites like Amazon and eBay. On any website there should be information on how to contact customer service, and it should be more than just an email address. 
Special Note: When purchasing items on eBay or Amazon, be sure to notice where it is being shipped from if you want to get it in time for Christmas. Some places ship from Hong Kong or Japan and it can take up to 2 months for your item to come in. 


Use Secure Sites

If you're making a purchase online, you should be on a secure site. How can you tell it's a secure site? There are two ways to know if the site you're on is secure. The address will start with https:// with the "s" signifying secure. There will also be a small padlock on the bar. These indicators may only show up when you start to checkout, but if they are not on the page it's best to avoid entering any personal information. 

Image source


Use Common Sense

As we said last week, like most things in life, common sense can be your best defense. 

  • Don't use sites that do not have a good reputation
  • When making purchases, sites should never ask for social security numbers. 
  • Check your bank account before and after you shop and monitor it closely for a few days after.





If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Staying Safe Online - for Parents

10/31/2014 03:43:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
The Internet can be a scary place, especially when you're a parent thinking of your kids being online. Between social media, games and, yes, even researching school work, most kids these days spend a great deal of time online. So how can you help keep them safe?

The biggest safety tip for parents is to be aware of what your kids are doing online. Do you know the sites the visit? Or the people they talk to? Do you know the things they post? Just like with real life, it is important to know where your kids are hanging out and who they're spending time with online. According to the McAfee Digital Deceptions study in 2013
Seventy-four percent of parents admit to not knowing about their children’s online behavior, but 46% of youth say that they would change their online behavior if their parents were paying attention.

Read the full report here, on the McAfee website. 
So how can you keep up with what your kids are up to? Here are some tips: 

•Create an open and honest environment for discussing online behaviors and security risks with kids.
•Start conversations regularly about practicing online safety and focus on offering guidance instead of trying to control children’s online behavior.
•Emphasize the concept of credibility and encourage children to proceed with caution: not everything they see on the Internet is true and people on the Internet may not be who they appear to be. Talk with children, and especially teens, about the importance of creating and maintaining a positive online identity.
•Watch for changes in behavior—if you child suddenly avoids the computer—it may be a sign they are being bullied online.
•Review security settings and privacy policies for the websites your child uses.
Some sources also suggest putting the computer in a central location, keeping things in plain sight. 

Remember, it's not just computers that offer access to the Internet; kids can also access from their smart phone or tablet. Be aware of the apps that are on your kids' devices and what they're used for. Common Sense Media has a list of apps that parents should be aware of that can be found here. It's important to know what these apps are capable of and why your kids might want to use them. 


If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Staying Safe Online --- with Social Media

10/24/2014 03:09:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram are great ways of keeping in touch with family, reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones. However, it is important to make sure that when using these sites, you're sharing information with only the people you want to and not strangers on the internet. Some unsavory people on the internet can and will use information that you post against you.

For example, posting on Facebook that you're on vacation can be a fun way to share the experience with your friends, but it can also let potential thieves know that you are out of town, leaving your home vulnerable. Many sites also allow users to 'check in' which also tells people you are away from home.

So how can you prevent strangers from seeing your personal information on Facebook? Adjust your security settings! Facebook has made it easier than every to see exactly who can see what you post on Facebook.

After you have logged into your Facebook page, you should see a security button in the top right hand corner. It looks like a padlock.



If you click on this button you will see several options.


The first option - Privacy Checkup - will walk you through choosing the privacy settings that are right for you. You can also see options to decide who can see what you post, who can send you messages and how to stop someone who is harassing you. More options are available under "See More Settings."

Guarding your information isn't' just limited to Facebook! It is very important to take the time to decide who can see your information on any website. It's a simple way to stay safe on one of the most popular social websites out there!


What social media sites do you like to use? Let us know in the comments!
If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 
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Staying Safe Online ... While Using Email

10/16/2014 09:35:00 AM Amanda, End User Support Technician
October is National Cyber Security Awareness month, so every week in October we will be focussing on a different aspect of staying safe online.

This week we are going to talk about staying safe while using email. Last week, we talked about passwords. Obviously, this is a huge part of staying safe on email and social media accounts. Without a strong password, hackers can access your account and send messages or posts from your account to your friends and family. If a hacker accesses your email, they can then send emails to anyone you have exchanged email with, even if it has been years since you spoke with them. You can read our last post for more information on creating strong passwords.

An important part of keeping your information and your computer safe when using email is to only open emails and especially attachments in emails, from people you know. Often times, people will send viruses or spyware through links in an email. Sometimes, they will masquerade as legitimate companies. That is why it is also important to look at the address of the sender. If an email claims to be from the FBI, IRS, or any other government agency and the sending email address does not end in .gov, it is not a true email. Also, no company will ask you for your personal information over email. They will not ask for your account number, bank account, social security number or any other private information.

Some fake emails are pretty easy to spot, like this email that claims to be from Coca-Cola. It seems pretty plain for an email from a Fortune 500 company, doesn't it? The "From" address also does not include the name Coca-Cola. Would a huge company not have their own website? These are things to notice before opening an attachment or clicking on a link.




Then there are others that go through great lengths to appear as though they are from the company, like this email from The Bank of Montreal. It certainly looks official, but it is asking for personal information. It is also trying to frighten you into sharing your information. Hackers know that if they can scare a person enough, that person will not hesitate to share their information.


It's not just companies being impersonated that you have to look out for when using email; individuals will often also try to swindle email users out of their money. One of the most commonly known ways they try to do this is the "Nigerian Prince" scam. If you have been online for a while, you have probably seen this for yourself. In this scam, someone claiming to be a Nigerian prince (or some other title that implies they have money) tells the story of how he is exiled from his country and but has money available. He just needs to borrow a little money from you to get to his vast fortune. You give him the money and of course he'll pay you right back. Sounds legitimate, right? Of course not. But when these scams first started appearing many people saw an opportunity to make some quick money. This brings us to something that's very important when using email or any other internet service: Don't believe everything you read. If something seems to good to be true, it probably is. Just like in the real world, people in the online world are not going to give you free money just for clicking a link or exchanging personal information. 


It can be confusing and even frightening to deal with all of these possible security risks, just remember: When in doubt, don't click! Call the company to verify if possible. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your information.

We hope this post has shared some new information with you. Stay tuned next time for tips on staying safe while using Social Media.

We will also have an post about a new service coming to the library! Don't miss out on this exciting news!
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Staying safe online ... with Passwords.

10/09/2014 12:33:00 PM Amanda, End User Support Technician
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month! Each week we will be posting tips on staying safe online. This week we're going to be talking about creating safe passwords.

Passwords are the key to keeping your information safe online. Without a strong password your email, Facebook and even bank accounts could be vulnerable.

There are a few key things to remember when dealing with passwords.

Passwords should be at least 8 characters long - the longer the better. It should also have a capital letter, symbol or number. Most websites require that passwords meet all of these requirements, but even if the website does not require it, you should keep in the habit of using passwords that include all of these elements.

Though it is tempting to make passwords easy to remember by using something simple like your name, children's name or birthday, these can make it easy to guess your password. Using a sequence of numbers like "12345" or "abc123" or even just using the word password can also make it very easy to guess a password. SplashData.com releases the worst passwords used every year. Below is a graphic showing the worst passwords of 2013. These passwords are considered the worst because they are so easy to guess.

image via splashdata.com
So what should you use for a password? Try something that is easy for you to remember but hard to guess. Or if you must use something like your children's name add a capital letter or symbol. Some security experts recommend using a common word that is misspelled or even an inside joke that only makes sense to you. 

If you do need to keep a written log of your passwords, you can! With almost every website seeming to have different rules for passwords it can be difficult to keep up with all of them. Writing the passwords is a great way to remember the passwords. The important thing is to keep that record out of sight. Make sure the log of passwords cannot be seen from the computer - keep it in a drawer or file! This will keep visitors from seeing your passwords. 

Sometimes even the most random password cannot keep your account safe. My Facebook page was 'hacked' once, even though I used a non-English word that wasn't even spelled correctly! It is important to monitor your accounts for unusual activities. This includes keeping an eye on bank and credit card statements and looking in your 'Sent Mail' folder every once in a while to make sure you recognize all the emails that weren't sent recently. If you find something unusual, the first step is to change your password immediately. Most email and social media services monitor your account for you and force you to change your password if anything unusual occurs. However, it is always a good idea to be aware of what is happening on your account. 

For a fun way of remembering the rules to a secure password, online security company Thycotic offers this:


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