2024 has been a year of impressive technological progress, especially in artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, there鈥檚 also been a noticeable uptick in scams and phishing attempts targeting consumers worldwide.
Research shows that 90% of cyber breaches and attacks are attributable to human errors, such as clicking on phishing links, using weak passwords, falling for social engineering scams, or sharing sensitive information.
These scams are becoming more sophisticated, making it easier for cybercriminals to trick even the most cautious of us. Whether it鈥檚 a suspicious email, a dubious text message, or a fake website, cybercriminals are constantly exploring new ways to steal personal and financial information.
It鈥檚 more important than ever to stay vigilant. By staying informed and cautious, you can keep your information safe and avoid falling victim to these malicious schemes. In this post, we鈥檒l share some practical tips on how to protect yourself.
Use an email you check regularly
Make sure you鈥檙e using an email address you check often for your 91制片厂 account. This way, you won鈥檛 miss any important updates or notifications, including notifications about changes to your account that may be suspicious.
Tip: Cybercriminals commonly conceal malicious activity by editing your auto-forwarding rules in an attempt to mask any malicious activity, so it鈥檚 a good idea to check the auto-forwarding rules associated with your email address. If you see anything there you don鈥檛 expect, update your password immediately.
Look out for phishing attempts
Phishing is a type of cyber attack where cyber criminals try to trick you into giving away personal or financial information by clicking a link, or opening an email attachment. They often do this by sending emails, text messages, or creating fake websites that look like they鈥檙e from legitimate companies.
Be cautious when opening emails, especially if the content seems unexpected or alarming. When in doubt, don鈥檛 interact with the email without first verifying its authenticity by contacting the connected company or individual via a method you trust (e.g. the Contact Form on a company鈥檚 website).
Remember, 91制片厂 will never ask for your login details via email or any site other than 91制片厂. If you鈥檙e not expecting an email from 91制片厂, be extra vigilant before you click on any links or open attachments, and review these additional tips:
- Look out for any misspellings or special characters in the email address and the email itself.
- Hover over the 鈥渇rom鈥� display name to see what email address pops up. If the email is coming from an unexpected source, or if the domain has misspellings or unusual characters, the email may be a scam.
- Be extra cautious when an email contains urgent calls to action that ask you to click a link or respond immediately.
- If you鈥檙e ever unsure about an email, don鈥檛 open attachments or click on links. Better safe than sorry.
- If you have already clicked on a phishing link, don鈥檛 panic! Disconnect from the internet, backup your important files, scan for malware, and change your passwords as soon as possible.
Practise good password hygiene
One of the best ways to protect your online accounts is by practising good password hygiene. Here鈥檚 how:
- Set strong passwords: They should be at least 14 characters long and contain a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Change your passwords often.
- Use a unique password for every site, and never share your passwords with anyone else. If multiple people need access to your 91制片厂 account, use our instead of sharing a single login email and password among team members. Audit who has access to your account regularly, and remove permissions as needed.
- Pro Tip: Use a password manager app. It generates strong passwords for you and stores them all in one place. You鈥檒l only need to remember one 鈥榩rimary鈥� password.
Browse safely
When using any device, follow these best practices to protect yourself:
- Keep your device, antivirus software, and web browser(s) updated to the latest versions. These updates include new security patches and enhancements that are designed to keep you protected.
- Run regular system backups to preserve your most important files.
- Before installing any browser extensions, read the reviews and descriptions.
- Avoid logging into your online accounts while on public Wi-Fi, unless you鈥檙e using a VPN (virtual private network).
- Set a strong and unique password for your private wireless network.
That鈥檚 it. We hope this information helps you feel more equipped to protect yourself and your data while surfing the World Wide Web. Stay safe out there.
