National Safer Internet Day in February is a Time to Reassess Your Personal and Banking Security
Feb. 10 is National Safer Internet Day, a time to review some of the things that keep you safe online, and some of the things that can prevent your identity from being stolen or your computer taken over by ransomware.
Passwords
The more complicated a password is, the better – passwords should include a mix of numbers, punctuation marks, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters.
Businesses are continuously experiencing hacking issues, especially large companies or corporations that have tens or hundreds of thousands of user passwords and other personal data. This data is also much sought after on the internet’s black market and among other illicit users.
Some other password tips include:
Length is Better Than Complexity – Long passwords are tougher for automated password programs than complex passwords. At least 12 characters are recommended, and changing passwords (creating a new one) often is recommended.
No ‘Wordy’ Passwords – Passwords that are long, but contain full words, are the easy for password-breaking programs to crack. Consider a “!” instead of an “I” in words, and inserting symbols.
Avoid Same Passwords – Using the same password for multiple accounts is problematic, as once it is compromised, these criminals will go after your other accounts. Mix it up with different characters for different accounts.
Banks and Phishing Scams
Banks will not ask for your personal information over the phone, email or text. If you receive one of these requests asking for your account number, your online banking credentials (username or password), your social security number, or your debit card number or any other numbers on your card, it is a red flag.
Hang up the phone or hit “delete” on the text or email.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware in which the data on a victim's computer is locked, typically by encryption, making your data the criminal’s hostage.
Monetary gain is usually the motive for ransomware attacks, and a ransom payment is demanded from the victim in order to restore access. Often the ransom payment is required to be paid in virtual currency (such as bitcoin), so the cybercriminal's identity remains anonymous.
Ransomware attacks are different than other types of attacks as the victim is usually notified about what has happened and given instructions on how to recover their data. Every employee of a company must stay vigilant to protect the organization from being a victim of ransomware, employing techniques such as:
- Avoid opening email attachments from unknown sources
- Avoid clicking on links in unfamiliar emails
- Avoid downloading files from websites outside your company
- Report any incidents or suspected incidents immediately to your IT department
- Avoid clicking on text links from unknown sources
Further Protection
Old National’s mission is to protect vulnerable individuals from financial abuse in an ever-advancing technological world. We work to educate our clients and communities about the risk of financial abuse in several ways:
- Our Money Safety for Seniors program educates people about financial abuse that targets seniors.
- We built a robust Security Center at oldnational.com with detailed information about protecting yourself and those you love from fraud and abuse.
- We constantly explore new strategies and best practices for combating financial exploitation, working with nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, regulators, law enforcement and others.
To learn more about protecting yourself and your online financials click here.
