With major stores finding their customer’s accounts being compromised, celebrities’ personal cloud accounts being hacked and bank accounts being spied on internet security has never been more important. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
According to the internet Crime complaint Center, consumers lost $780 million last year to internet crime, up 50 percent from 2012. This year, the Better Business Bureau is partnering with STOP. THINK. CONNECT. to help individuals feels secure online. Both organizations encourage online users to take extra security measures this month.
Alaska regional manager for BBB Michelle Tabler says having secure accounts with store credit cards is important.
“It’s really frustrating because some of the data breaches were people actually going into stores and using their credit cards, in this situation. And then these big retailers were hacked like Target and Home Depot. What’s really important for people to remember is to check your credit card every single month, check your bank statement, check you cell phone statement every month to make sure the purchases on there are legitimate and that you actually did them. So it’s important to save receipts.”
Tabler says there are precautions one can take to protect against cybercrime. Keeping your personal computer virus free and up to date, protecting personal information and connecting with care are just some of the measures you can take.
“You want to have long, strong and unique passwords and I know that means having these types of passwords for each type of account. Just keep track of them off your computer, do not keep that sort of thing on your computer, because if a hacker gets into it they can get into the file that has all your passwords on it, so you want to be really careful of that.”
If you receive an email from your bank or any other business that you have an account with claiming that there’s an issue-- don’t click on the link they send. Always go to the site on your own. Tabler says the links could be a virus or a fake website. She says hackers are able to forge logos and symbols of banks and businesses easily.
“Click over the URL, see where it’s actually coming from. And if you have any real questions about what it’s telling you, call the number that’s on the back of your card, call the number that you have for your bank, do not call the number or click on anything in that email.”
STOP. THINK. CONNECT. is an online awareness campaign hoping to help all people on the internet stay safe and secure. For more information on Cyber Security Month look for the BBB on Facebook.