Phishing emails and information theft as a whole can be frightening as well as annoying. They flood our inboxes hoping our guard is down and we make a mistake to give up our private details and it seems like a never ending battle against hackers and scammers. To combat this, here are a few easy steps that can keep your information secure.
Step 1: Never Click On Shortened Links
Clicking any link in an email should be done cautiously and only if the sender is trusted but a shortened link using a service like Bitly or Tinyurl should be a red flag of the sender concealing a link destination. In phishing e-mails, this link is often the main focus the sender is wanting you to click. An easy example of this would be an email saying users in another country have tried accessing your account. The suspicious element in these e-mails will be the large “CHANGE PASSWORD” link that will take you to an imitation site and prompt you to enter your current, and “new” password.
Step 2: Set Up 2FA On Your Account
Don’t let the long name of “two-factor authentication” intimidate you. Similar to how the bank or the DMV asks for two forms of ID, 2FA means that to log in to your account, two ways to prove your identity will be needed. Most sites ask for a cell phone number to text a supplemental access code if a password reset is requested so even if your info is taken, the account still has security to give you control.
Step 3: Small Details
Most phishing e-mails operate on their efforts to convince recipients that they’re legitimate. Senders like “Googlemail.com” are trying to impersonate a well known company in order to gain your trust. Official-looking emails shouldn’t have errors or misspellings like that so if something feels off, it probably isn’t an e-mail you can trust.
All of these tips are for protecting credentials and your online profile. For physical media and protecting particular files, services such as Copy Protection software are usually an affordable solution for anyone’s data.
