Tag Archives: passwords

Big Tech Knows Who You Are!

Tips for enhancing your digital privacy

Companies are following your every move. When you have a cell phone, they are tracking what apps you use, where you go, who you talk to and more! Other smart devices listen to your conversations in your home, keep track of what you view on your TV, and report where you visit and what routes you take to get there. Even worse, the more you share the greater the chance a hacker gets this information.

Consider these tips to more actively protect yourself and your information.

The power of the opt out

Apple recently introduced an opt out feature on their iPhones. Historically, when you download a new app onto an iPhone, you have to manually opt out of sharing your device’s data. Now when you download a new app on your iPhone, you’ll be asked whether you want to opt in and allow the app to have access to your information.

So, if you are an iPhone user, start with the opt out and then deliberately select who you wish to give access to your information. And opt out does not have to be global. For instance, a direction function needs your location when you use it. But it does not need to be turned on all the time.

Actions:

  • Leave opt-out as default on iPhones and set default to opt-out on other mobile phone brands.
  • Review all apps and turn off tracking and data sharing.
  • Actively turn off your phone if you do not wish to be tracked.
  • Review all smart devices and select your opt out options. Include TVs and personal assistants in your review.

Protect your web browsing

Companies love to keep tabs on your browsing habits. And it is not just limited to their own sites. They might spy on ALL your activity. They see every website you visit, monitor all your clicks, and track all social media likes and videos you view. They then use this information to determine what you see and read. In short, they control your world view, both in content and in what ads you see.

Actions:

  • Actively use ad blockers such as AdBlock and uBlock.
  • Turn off cookies and periodically empty your cache.
  • Avoid downloading any and all extensions unless absolutely required.

Use best data protection practices

As the internet and smart devices evolve, so do the thieves that wish to steal your identity and your financial resources. So, keep up-to-date on best data protection practices.

Actions:

  • Vary passwords and user IDs. Keep track of them outside of your computer.
  • Keep operating systems and software up-to-date.
  • Encrypt your emails and computer hard drive.
  • Keep banking information off your cell phone.
  • Back up all your devices remotely.
  • Use current antivirus software.
  • Monitor your credit reports for any suspicious activity.
  • Confirm before opening suspicious emails or attachments.

Most importantly, stay informed. In the end, the burden of protecting your data always falls on you.

Most Passwords Are Easy to Guess. Do This Instead.

You’re doing your passwords all wrong.

So says the developer of the guidelines most internet users have been following for 15 years, anyway. Passwords that L00K l!ke tHi$ are actually much more susceptible to hacking than most people realize, says Bill Burr, former manager of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and author of the NIST’s 2003 recommendations for password management.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Burr said that his previous advice to use numbers, symbols and randomized capitalization resulted in people creating passwords that are easy for computers to predict.

A more secure option is to use four random words, such as “that purple monkey dishwasher.” Such a phrase is actually much more complicated for computers to guess, The Wall Street Journal reports. (Cartoonist Randall Munroe explained the math in a comic six years ago.)

Some password advice remains relevant, however: avoid using birthdays or anniversaries, your kids’ names or your address, as all of this information is easy for hackers to locate. Additionally, use different passwords for each of your accounts and avoid storing them where they can be easily seen or stolen.

With cybersecurity threats on the rise, CPAs are paying attention to such advice. (An article about Burr’s interview that appeared in last Thursday’s CPA Letter Daily was one of the week’s most clicked stories, natch.) Strong passwords are just the tip of the iceberg, though. CPA firms and their clients are looking at ways not only to protect sensitive information, but also to report on those efforts.

In response to this need, the AICPA has updated its Cybersecurity Resource Center to provide information on protecting firms, advising clients and reporting on an organization’s cybersecurity efforts – all using the recently released AICPA cybersecurity risk management reporting framework.

Lindsay N. Patterson, CAE, Senior Manager – Communications and Public Relations, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

http://blog.aicpa.org/2017/08/most-passwords-are-easy-to-guess-do-this-instead.html#sthash.Pv0nJVjc.dpbs

Cyber-Security – Simple Suggestions to Protect Your Business

Is your company vulnerable to cyber-crime? Most computer and/or network security breaches are the result of a lack of understanding of the importance of security processes within a company.  It’s important to recognize how implementing effective security procedures can protect your clients’ privacy, guard against misuse of confidential information and benefit your business.  Here are some suggestions:

  • Establish and maintain best practices for computer security.
  • Make sure that each system user has a unique login.
  • Grant system permissions to users as needed.
  • Protect all networks and hardware against viruses.
  • Monitor system activity.
  • Run regular backups.
  • Educate employees on passwords – creating strong passwords and not sharing their passwords.
  • Prohibit employees from opening email attachments (particularly ZIP files) from unknown or suspicious sources.
  • Disable access to the network and all cloud solutions for former employees.

Setting up and following these simple suggestions can help keep your company and its reputation safe and secure!