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If you have kids with mobile devices, create a central home charging station in your bedroom. Before the kids go to bed at night, have them put their mobile devices there so they are not tempted to play with them when they should be sleeping.

Ever wonder just how much information is publicly available about you? Ever wonder how cyber criminals harvest information and customize attacks for their victims? The technique is called Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and it is far simpler and more powerful than you think.

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) create encrypted tunnels when you connect to the Internet. They are a fantastic way to protect your privacy and data, especially when traveling and connecting to untrusted or unknown networks, such as at hotels or coffee shops. Use a VPN whenever possible, both for work and personal use.

Companies you do business with should never ask for your account information, credit card numbers or password in an email. If you have any questions about an email you receive that supposedly came from your financial institution or service provider, find their number on their website and call them.

You may be aware that cyber attacks will try to trick you over the phone or through email using phishing attacks, but do you realize they may try to attack you also over social media channels, such as Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn? Just like in email, if you get any social media messages that are highly urgent or too good to be true, it may be an attack.

Do you plan on giving away or selling one of your older mobile devices? Make sure you wipe or reset your device before disposing of it. If you don't, the next person who owns it will have access to all of your accounts and personal information.

Review your bank, credit card and financial statements regularly to identify unauthorized activity. This is one of the most effective ways to quickly detect if your bank account, credit card or identity has been compromised.

CEO Fraud / BEC is a type of targeted email attack. It commonly involves a cyber criminal pretending to be your boss or a senior leader and then tricking you into sending the criminal highly sensitive information, buying gift cards or initiating a wire transfer. Be highly suspicious of any emails demanding immediate action and/or asking you to bypass any security procedures.

The Dark Web is a network of systems connected to the Internet designed to share information securely and anonymously. These capabilities are abused by cyber criminals to enable their activities, for example selling hacking tools or purchasing stolen information such as credit card data. Be aware that your information could be floating around the Dark Web, making it easier for cyber criminals to create custom attacks targeting you..

Technology alone cannot protect you. Bad guys are constantly developing new ways to get past firewalls, anti-virus and filters. You are the best defense against any attacker.

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.