Hacking

Washing your hands is more important than ever, but so is being diligent about cyber and personal security.

With many counties and cities under a “Stay at Home” order, working from home in the current times means something different than it did before.

The added stress alone is enough to make a mistake, without mentioning the added multi-tasking while still trying to do our jobs and stay connected to our teams and others. So what are the bad guys doing? Taking advantage.

Make sure you are only opening emails and attachments that you were expecting, you are only clicking on and signing into trusted sites and that you are careful what you sign up for.

By setting up accounts on the fly, you are potentially exposing yourself to the outside world. For example, when you set up a free Zoom account instead of signing up for Microsoft teams for video conferencing.

Clicking an unknown link or unsafe site could make your computer and network sick and could cause financial or legal harm for years to come.

The bad guys are also coming after you personally. Be extra cautious regarding fake emails (for example, verifying information for your stimulus check) , do not give out personal information over the phone and be mindful of people price gouging and selling counterfeit items such as sanitizer and Personal Protective Equipment.

What can you do to prevent this?

Consult a professional or someone with experience in the area before signing up or setting up an application or service. If you don’t have a trusted professional, you can send us a message here.

Sources:

FBI warns of Teleconferencing and Online Classroom Hijacking During COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/news/press-releases/fbi-warns-of-teleconferencing-and-online-classroom-hijacking-during-covid-19-pandemic
FBI Sees Rise in Fraud Schemes Related to the Coronavirus Pandemic: https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200320.aspx