Avoiding a Hack: Part 1

Reduce Your Exposure

Cyber security is in the news with an alarming rate of online criminals looking at the vulnerabilities of both individuals, and businesses. There are steps you can take as an individual and a family to reduce your exposure and the painful aggravation of getting hacked.

Take Some First Steps!

The problem with passwords is the amount of different sites you access; from Netflix to your bank account, each login requires a password. How many can you remember? Do you write them down?

Passwords – the passwords on your desktop, tablet and phone are the keys to the kingdom for cyber criminals. Cracking your password is the first step in gaining access to everything stored on your devices.

Cyber experts recommend changing your password every 90 days, but if you have 6 characters that include a letter, number, and symbol (such as “%” or “#”), that is a strong first step. Just using “114477” or “123456” may be easy, but is also like personally handing over your computer to the hacker.

Most financial websites are now requiring 2 step authentication. When you login they send you a text to confirm it is you!

With all the cyber intrusions, it might be the right time to use a password manager to store all of your passwords needed for web access encrypted with 2 step authentication. No more resetting the password you forgot or didn’t write down.

Check out Keeper, Last Pass, or 1Password for as little as $48 a year to protect your family’s passwords for all of your online logins.

To avoid the aggravation of getting hacked, you can also buy protection through your home insurer at a reasonable cost to provide a solid backstop.

This is publication from Shepard Insurance Group. If you have questions about passwords and cyber security reach out Email us at info@preventible.net, or call (203) 637-6655.