Cyber Crime Prevention Tips

Don’t let the online bugs bite.

While the Internet is used for socializing, shopping, seeking information, sales, and whatnot, the likelihood of users being victimized by cyber crime is high. Government impersonated emails from hackers, intimidation through various methods such as credit card theft, romance fraud, and various cases of social media-related crimes have been reported in the past decade that tells the story of vulnerability and importance of cyber security just like physical ones. Cyber crimes are a real problems that can be prevented.

According to CNN Money, Symantec’s analysis 2014 reported that the thieves are working faster than the defending policies devised by companies which make one more cautious of the malicious threats. This essentially means cyber crime is far outpacing security and prevention.

1. Education
Educate and train your employees about the security policies and the potential threats to your company’s software and systems. Train them to protect the data as much as they can on an individual level and what to refrain from in the cyber world.

2. Strong Passwords
Passwords for every domain need to be strong in order to avoid any potential hacker’s attempts towards your data. This isn’t only the case for company data but to block access to the entire content related or unrelated. Strong passwords with a combination of characters, symbols, and numbers are essential even if you’re booking online air tickets or making any monetary transactions not to forget personal accounts. Also, do not use the same password for every online account and no user information to be set as a pass code. Change of password every 90 days is a good idea to prevent any attack.

3. Keep the Computers Updated
Regular updates of operating systems and software include updated antivirus software and stronger practices in place to detect any malware. Software flaws that occur with obsoletion are gateways to the attackers as any detected flaw weakens the immune system of your computers. Take advantage of the auto-update feature to avoid the hassle of constantly checking your operating system for updates on antivirus and debuggers.

4. Avoid Online Scams
The promise to make you a billionaire in a click is no free lunch. Free software (unless it’s from a trusted source), money making ads and surprise emails of winning the lottery are a no-go area when online. Malware typically enters the user’s computer through these channels, spreading and corrupting files and then allowing attackers to easily gain access to sensitive information or at the least weaken your system.

5. Keep Checking Financial Records
Identity theft and cyber crime can be detected relatively easily and caught as long as proper monitoring is in place. Bank statements and credit information is where the scams are targeted mostly, and if the financial information is constantly monitored, it is less likely to be the victim of any mishandling that goes unreported. Unusual purchases and withdrawals are usually detected by banks themselves to prevent any fraud and calls are made to confirm any giant sum withdrawn.

Protection of software with firewalls and antivirus programs as well as prevention of any hacking through personal accounts by keeping them secure not only prevents data loss but also provides great deal of safety for your work related and other sensitive information that could be attacked and misused by cyber criminals.

Let’s discuss on how to best prevent cyber crime attacks within your organization – call us at 1-646-681-4848 or email us