SANS Institute Security Awareness Tip of the Day

Privacy is more than just settings in your social media account or using the Tor Browser. Your data and actions are collected in a variety of ways. The more aware you are of just how much of your data is collected, the better you can protect it.

When you forward an email to others or copy new people to an email thread, review all the content in the entire email and make sure the information contained in it is suitable for everyone. It is very easy to forward emails to others, not realizing there is highly sensitive information in the bottom of the email that people should not have access to.

One of the most effective ways you can protect your computers and devices at home is to make sure both the operating system and your applications are patched and updated. Enable automatic updating whenever possible.

What happens to our digital presence when we die or become incapacitated? Many of us have or know we should have a will and checklists of what loved ones need to know in the event of our passing. But what about all of our digital data and online accounts? Consider creating some type of digital will, often called a "Digital Inheritance" plan.

Fake news is a false narrative that is published and promoted as if it were true. People (and organizations) create fake news to control and manipulate your thoughts and actions. Be skeptical of what you read on the Internet, use trusted sources that are vetted, check their motivations and funding.

Ransomware is a special type of malware. Once it infected your computer, it encrypts all of your files and demands you pay a ransom if you want your files back. Be suspicious of any emails trying to trick you into opening infected attachments or click on malicious links, common sense is your best defense. In addition. backups are often the only way you can recover from ransomware.

Have you considered a career in cybersecurity? It is a fast-paced, highly dynamic field with a huge number of specialties to choose from, including forensics, endpoint security, critical infrastructure, incident response, secure coding, and awareness and training. In addition, a career in cybersecurity allows you to work almost anywhere in the world, with amazing benefits and an opportunity to make a real difference. However, the most exciting thing is you do NOT need a technical background, anyone can get started.

Cyber attackers can just as easily trick or fool you in messaging apps as they can in email. Be on the look-out for scams or attacks via apps such as Slack, Skype, WhatsApp or event simple text messaging. The most common clues are tremendous sense of urgency or curiosity.

Privacy settings on social networks can be confusing to configure and change often. Ultimately, if you do not want your parents or boss reading one of your posts, do not post the message or photo.

The first step to creating a cybersecure home is to start by securing your Wi-Fi Access Point. Change your Wi-Fi Access Points default administrator password to something only you know. Many Wi-Fi Access Points or Wi-Fi routers are shipped with default administrator passwords that are publicly known and posted on the Internet.

Eventually, we all have an accident or get hacked. And when we do, backups are often the only way to recover. Backups are cheap and easy; make sure you are backing up all of your personal information at home (such as family photos) on a regular basis.

Identity theft is when someone steals information about you and then uses that information to pretend to be you and commit crimes, such as credit card fraud. One of the key steps to protecting yourself is monitoring your financial, credit score and credit card accounts. The sooner you detect fraud in any of these accounts, the sooner you can minimize the damage.