The Table Rock Community Bank scholarship program is designed to invest in the next generation of Rock Solid community leaders. Four (4) $1,000 one-time scholarships will be given to qualifying high school seniors. One scholarship will be awarded to a student at each of the following high schools: Blue Eye, Crane, Galena, Reeds Spring.
Here are four tips to follow to help everyone increase their protection of themselves online.
1- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication - MFA can take several different forms, including:
a) Long– Every one of your passwords should be at least 12 characters long.
b) Unique– Each account needs to be protected with its own unique password. Never reuse passwords. This way, if one of your accounts is compromised, your other accounts remain secured. We’re talking really unique, not just changing one character, or adding a “2” at the end – to really trick up hackers, none of your passwords should look alike.
c) Complex– Each unique password should be a combination of upper-case letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (like >,!?). Again, remember each password should be at least 12 characters long. Some websites and apps will even let you include spaces.
3- Recognize Phishing
a) Does it contain an offer that’s too good to be true?
b) Does it include language that’s urgent, alarming, or threatening?
c) Is it poorly crafted writing riddled with misspellings and bad grammar?
d) Is the greeting ambiguous or very generic?
e) Does it include requests to send personal information?
f) Does it stress an urgency to click on an unfamiliar hyperlinks or attachment?
g) Is it a strange or abrupt business request?
h) Does the sender’s e-mail address match the company it’s coming from? Look for little misspellings like pavpal.com or anazon.com.
4- Update Your Software - Update often.
Always keep your software updated when updates becomes available and don’t delay. These updates fix general software problems and provide new security patches where criminals might get in. You can be sure the bad guys are always looking for new ways to get to your data through software, so updating your software is an easy way to stay a step ahead.
As the holiday season approaches, millions of people will be traveling. If you are among the many, here are some tips to help keep you cyber savvy and safe.
Mobile Devices
Bring as few devices as you can. The fewer devices you bring while traveling, the fewer devices that can be lost or stolen. In fact, did you know that you are far more likely to lose a mobile device than have it stolen? Whenever leaving a hotel room, restaurant, taxi cab, train or airplane, do a quick device check and make sure you have all of your devices. Don’t forget to have friends or family traveling with you to double check for their devices too, like children who may leave a device behind on a seat or in a restaurant. As for the devices you choose to bring, make sure you update them so they are running the latest operating system and apps. Keep the screen lock enabled. If possible, ensure you have some way to remotely track your devices if they are lost. In addition, you may want the option to remotely wipe the device. That way if a device is lost or stolen, you can remotely track and/or wipe all your sensitive data and accounts from the device. Finally, do a backup of any devices you take with you, so if one is lost or stolen, you can easily recover your data.
Wi-Fi Connections
When traveling, you may need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network. Keep in mind you often have no idea who configured that Wi-Fi network, who is monitoring it or how, and who else is connected to it. Instead of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, whenever possible connect to and use the personal hotspot feature of your smartphone. This way you know you have a trusted Wi-Fi connection. If that is not possible and you need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network (such as at an airport, hotel, or cafe), use a Virtual Private Network, often called a VPN. This is software you install on your laptop or mobile devices to help protect and anonymize your Wi-Fi connection. Some VPN solutions include settings to automatically enable the VPN when connecting to non-trusted Wi-Fi networks.
Public Computers
Avoid using public computers, such as those in hotel lobbies or at coffee shops, to log into any accounts or access sensitive information. You don’t know who used that computer before you, and they may have infected it accidentally or deliberately with malware, such as a keystroke logger. Stick to devices you control and trust.
Social Media
We love to update others about our travels and adventures through social media, but we don’t always know who every friend or viewer is online. Avoid oversharing while on vacation as much as possible and consider waiting to share your trip until you’re home. Additionally, don’t post pictures of boarding passes, driver’s licenses, or passports as this can lead to identity theft.
SCAM ALERT:
Be wary of a new scam going around using money transfer services like Venmo. In the scam money mysteriously appears in your Venmo account, sent by a scammer using a stolen credit card. They then send a message saying it was sent by mistake and asks for it to be refunded. Don't do it! If you refund the money before Venmo reverses the transaction you're responsible for the funds.
To protect yourself from these types of scams while using a digital wallet or money transfer app follow these Better Business Bureau tips:
THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!