Let's Get IT Together

Monday, November 22, 2010

A Cyber Wise Shopper is a Smart Holiday Season Shopper

The 2010 holiday season is upon us and a large majority of people will be doing their fair share of holiday shopping online.  This is a good time to be mindful of the cyber hazards that are out there as we begin to search the web for those holiday bargains.  A number of things to remember as you shop:

• Look for trusted websites and security policies
• Check with credit card companies on policy for consumer protection on web purchases
• Be aware of new tools, devices and applications

While the internet continues to make it easy for us to shop from the convenience of our homes, cyber criminals are using this same frenzy of purchasing to look for opportunities to separate us from our hard earned dollars.  So, it is up to you as the savvy user to stay up to date on how you make your purchases and watch for those signs in your shopping that could indicate you may be providing information to unreliable sources.

This year, the National Cyber Security Awareness has dubbed a theme of "Stop | Think | Connect" for October's cyber awareness month.  This is a good policy to follow before filling in financial and other confidential information as you find those deals that are "too good to believe".  For other tips on cyber security and online purchasing, go to http://www.staysafeonline.org/in-the-home/online-shopping .

Stop, Think, and then Connect to keep your holiday season a happy one.

CATEGORIES: Security
POSTED: 11:16:00 AM |

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Don't Post in Email What You Don't Want Others to See

Email and text messaging have become the most popular modes of communication, soon to surpass the use of voice on the phone.  As a result, many people take for granted that the messages and emails are rarely secure and at any given time, information hijacking can take place.  A recent example of what can happen is illustrated in Government Computer News.

http://gcn.com/articles/2010/11/08/gsa-data-breach.aspx?s=gcndaily_091110

The lesson learned is that email and text message content should NEVER include private, personal or confidential information.  While the odds that your message will be prey to hackers and information hijackers may be remote, the risk of it happening is increasing day to day.  Information bandits are always looking at new ways to gain access to vulnerable information systems and they know that people use email and messaging frequently without regard to information compromise.

The lessons here are simple:

• Never include personal / confidential information
• Never respond to an email from someone that you don't know
• Never open an attachment from a sender if you aren't expecting from a trusted source
• Avoid using "reply all" to avoid including people in a conversation that should remain "one to one"
• Look over your emails and texts BEFORE you hit the SEND button.

Use emails and text messages wisely!

CATEGORIES: Email , Security
POSTED: 9:55:00 AM |