Safeguard Your Life from Cybercrime

I am increasingly being made aware of the importance of safeguarding bank account information by family and friends who have fallen victim to cybercrime.  Experts predict that cybercrime will escalate in 2013 and it is critical that you take steps to protect yourself.

Imagine a hacker getting into your account, remotely erasing the data on your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, deleting your Google account, then accessing your bank account to transfer your balance to another account and finally activating the camera on your computer to watch as you discover the theft.  This is not something from the future, this is possible now and occurs everyday.  Hacked personal information including credit card numbers are sold daily on the black market.

One of the main reasons people get hacked is that they use horrible passwords.  The New York Times recently published an article entitled How to Devise Passwords That Drive Hackers Away and it provides good tips for locking down your accounts.  Clearly, you should employ strong passwords (e.g., 20-30 character passwords with numbers, letters and special characters) and change them frequently for bank accounts, investment accounts, 401(k) accounts, and sites that allow on-line shopping.  You should also do this with social media (e.g., Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter etc.).

You should also turn on “two factor authentication” with any site that allows this.   Most people only use a password but many sites including Google and Facebook allow two factor authentication which is a security system that requires two credentials to let you into your account. The first is your password and the second is something you have with you such as a cellphone that can generate a unique code. The real advantage of this is if someone hacks your email and goes to your bank account or another site and asks for the password to be reset, they will get the new password but without the code (from your Smartphone), they will not be able to access the account.  Yes, it is a pain but it may save your identify and your money.

Another important step to safeguard your data while online is to use an updated operating system and an updated browser (e.g., most recent version of Apple OS or Windows Operating System plus the most recent version of Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox).  The newest OS and newest versions of browsers include the most recent protections from known threats.

Experts recommend you have two browsers: One for every day surfing on sites that you don’t share important and sensitive information. The other for banking, uploading photos, checking WebMail, stock trades, and online shopping.  When you are finished with your transactions, you close it down. This is in part because browsers store information that a hacker can exploit.  So if they access your every day browser, your important information is still hidden in the other browser.

Many people are hacked when they supply information in response to a fraudulent email “phishing” scheme.  Phishing occurs when you receive an email that appears legitimate but is in fact a fraudulent request for information that will enable a hacker to acquire your password or other private information. See this CBS News Article for tips on protecting yourself from phishing attacks.

And finally, if you have been involved in any type of child custody, child support, alimony or equitable distribution lawsuit in the past five years, go check the Courthouse and have the Clerk get rid of your personal information.  We open files at the courthouse frequently to find social security numbers, dates of birth and other very sensitive information right there for the public to see (and steal).  See our article “Family Law Clients Should Protect Their Personal Information from Identify Theft” for information on how to do this (including a link to a Form to Request to Redact the Information). If the State commenced a child support action against you, chances are good that your personal information including your social security number, date of birth, monthly income, employer name and address, and your address are plastered all over your file for the public to walk in and take for free.

Protect yourself!