WBIR: Cybersecurity poses a massive threat to all of us – consider the recent “WannaCry” ransomware attack. But most people have no idea what to do or how to fix it in a meaningful way. Certified Financial Planner Paul Fain joins us again this morning to talk about how to protect your money.
PAUL, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF CYBER CRIME?
- 94 billion spam emails sent every day, most of them malicious…
- 100,000 new malware attacks released on the Internet every day…
- In 2016, there were 980 reported data breaches that exposed over 35 million personal records.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RECENT FRAUD TRENDS AND WAYS WE CAN PROTECT OUR ACCOUNTS?
- Ransomware: lock down your computer until you pay.
- Email account takeover: Hackers can take over an email account then pose as you and send seemingly legitimate emails requesting disbursements to a third party.
- Forged letters of authorization (LOAs): Email takeover is often paired with a forged disbursement LOA. For instance, pulled from scanned documents within your inbox.
WHAT ARE OUR DEFENSIVE MEASURES?
- Up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware software
- Use strong passwords.
- Do NOT open unfamiliar attachments.
- Require voice authentication when available.
- Surf and shop safely online.
If money is stolen: you will likely get it back. Monumental headache: Anger, anxiety, paranoia.
Learn more: https://staysafeonline.org
This segment originally aired on WBIR on June 4th, 2017.
