Some basic cybersecurity tips to protect your data

Scams and fraud often begin online – which makes good cyber hygiene more important than ever. If you don’t take any personal cybersecurity measures, scammers have a better chance of accessing your personal or financial information. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) is sharing some tips to help you brush up on your online safety during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

BBB’s 2024 Scam Tracker Risk Report found that 61.2% of scams started online, and scams perpetrated online were riskier and more likely to result in monetary loss than those perpetrated in person or over the phone.

Unsolicited online messages, suspicious links containing malware or viruses, and fraudulent social media ads are all common themes in scams reported to BBB. Phishing scams rose from #7 to #6 on the list of riskiest scams reported to BBB in 2024, in part because scammers are finding more personal information online and have begun using AI to make sophisticated, believable phishing messages.

In our increasingly digital lives, there’s no guarantee you can avoid cybercrime completely, but you have the power to protect yourself as much as possible. A few smart daily habits can go a long way toward securing your data and devices.

What are some basic cybersecurity tips to help me protect my data?

• Use strong passwords. With so many accounts to keep track of, it can be easy to get into a bad habit of creating repetitive, easy-to-remember passwords. Make sure all of your passwords are secure and consider updating them on an annual basis. Using two-factor authentication when available adds an extra layer of security.

• Consider using a password manager. It’s easier to handle all your logins and accounts with a password manager. A password manager securely stores your login information, helps you create strong passwords, and notifies you of potential data breaches.

• Think before you click. Countless scams have a “phishing” component, where scammers try to spread malware or viruses through emails, text messages or ads online. They’re also great at spoofing caller ID and email accounts to make them look familiar. Don’t click on any suspicious links or attachments, even if they seem to be from someone you know.

• Install the most recent updates. Installing new operating systems and software as soon as they become available keeps your computer secure and helps it run faster. Your computer should inform you of important updates, but you can also check for them in your settings menu. You can search for updates for accessories like printers and routers by going to the support area of those devices’ websites and searching for “firmware update.”

• Protect your devices. Use antivirus software to protect your computer and its content from viruses, spyware and hackers. Be wary of unsolicited customer support emails and popups. Before giving a customer support representative remote access to your computer, verify that the company is who they say they are and not a fraudulent lookalike.

• Don’t forget your phone. The same goes for mobile devices! Consider deleting any apps you don’t regularly use and check your phone’s settings menu to see if you have the most recent updates installed.

• Check your social media privacy. Scammers can pull information about you from public social media accounts and use it for fraud. Check up on your social media and other accounts and consider closing any you don’t use. Check the privacy settings on each account to make sure they’re set to your preference.

• Guard your information. Take time to read the privacy policy of websites you visit and understand what personal information is being collected and how it will be used.

• Talk to your family. If you have children or older adults in your home, it’s wise to talk with them about cybersecurity. Discuss common online scams and how to avoid them, ground rules for communicating with strangers, and what is and isn’t okay to share online. Consider parental controls or safe browsing limits on your devices. You may want to agree on a confidential word for your family to use to ward off scams imitating loved ones’ voices.

•Report cybercrime. If you think you’ve experienced a cybercrime, report it to BBB Scam Tracker and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). BBB also has resources to help you recover from a scam.