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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:

• Inputting an extra PIN (personal identification number) as well as your password
• The answer to an extra security question like “What town did you go to high school in?”
• A code sent to your email or texted to your device that you must enter within a short span of time
• Biometric identifiers like facial recognition or fingerprint scan
• A standalone app that requires you to approve each attempt to access an account 
• An additional code either emailed to an account or texted to a mobile number
• A secure token – a separate piece of physical hardware, like a key fob, that verifies a person’s identity with a database or system

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.