I have been involved in providing automated solutions for businesses for years. I have prepared detailed presentations and talked to events, repeatedly warning clients and our staff how to avoid being hacked. However, a few weeks came seconds near being a victim myself!
What happened? He was in a Chicago parking meter trying to use my credit card to get a parking ticket for my car. Card failed the first time, but after a few attempts finally arrived. I noted the zero-degree climate incident and a frozen parking meter. A few seconds later, I received a text message saying, "Your card has been restricted Call us at 312-985-5635. ". He had received a similar e-mail from VISA in the past when my card was hacked.
"312" is a Chicago area code, and I thought Visa was concerned about multiple attempts on the counter, so I was about to call the number, but I suspected. Instead, I called the visa number on the back of my card. VISA says my card was not planned and everything was fine. Always call the number on the back of the card! A good example: Never leave your guard. A coincidence that the above can make it sound real and logical. I did a web search phone number and, indeed, is a known scam phone number.
What are some of the common ways that you can protect yourself?
Avoid phishing emails. 156 million are sent every day worldwide. 10% of a scam and share your personal information. Avoid any email that suggests a high value of urgency or entertainment, especially with a link. A tip used is to emulate a popular email address with only a modified letter. When you are in a hurry (and that does not work) is very easy to click on it. Would you click on DisneyyWorld.com an email with a picture of Mickey's tempting offer for a vacation?
Avoid smishing text messages. Just like phishing, but the text.
Use multiple security programs and update frequently. Do not just rely on a program. Not performing the updates is the same as not having them, because every day new viruses come out.
Stay away from "scary places" while browsing. If you have a terrible feeling that something is wrong but have already clicked on the site, there is a simple way to check if it is safe. In Internet Explorer, click the padlock image in the upper right corner of your browser. This will verify the certificate validation site to see if it matches. If the site is correct, he will say, "This certificate is correct. That means anyone who owns does not say. If you are Chrome®, you have to click on the 3 points and go to more tools, then down a few layers to find that security. Some browsers do not support this feature. Be very careful about what you click when you navigate with power.
Build a better password. Use 2-factor authentication. Never store passwords on your computer. Update passwords regularly and various. Use 20 or more characters. If you can not live do not do all these things, at least choose a few things that will be better than nothing.
We all know the ghost messages of friends. Some respond to unsent emails. Most contain an enticing link you will never want to click. Interestingly, in writing this, I just got one of these. Very common. Easy to handle squeezed. Look carefully before clicking.
When you browse the secure computer, you receive a scary message of how the police detected a virus on your computer. You have been blocked by Ransomware. Do not pay any difference.
Ignore "emerging" ads that tell a computer virus has been detected. Often, they tell you to click and the virus will be deleted.
Hacking/viruses is a very serious problem. In general, all circumstances be avoided by incorporating a simple process of thought before proceeding and taking appropriate precautions. Everyone rushes in the day, so fast clicks are very common and hackers know it. It is always better to read the content completely and evaluate all emails and text messages before responding in a certain way.