Cyber Security: How to keep your information secure

By Angela Bowman

At Trust Company of Vermont, we take protecting your data seriously. In today’s world, you can barely get through the day without hearing about an email that has been hacked or a social network clone account. With all of us so reliant on computers, smart phones, and other devices to keep us efficient and organized, it is important to ensure you are taking the proper steps to protect your data. As Chair of our Technology Committee, I have had many meetings with our network provider and attended a number of seminars regarding cybersecurity. Although not an expert in the field, I have learned a few tidbits along the way that I want to share.

Some things are pretty basic. You have heard them hundreds of times before… don’t reuse passwords, make sure your password is complex, the IRS will never call you… but on any given day, we are all vulnerable to hackers and cyber criminals. It is always important to stop, pause and take the extra second before doing anything else.

There are many layers to protecting data, but the first line of defense is you. Before clicking on any emails, texts, or links, you should always take the extra second to ask yourself two questions… Do I know the sender? Am I expecting this communication? If the answer is yes to both of those, then you can proceed, but only with caution as there are many criminals out there pretending to be your loved ones. My general rule of thumb is if it makes you pause, even for a second, better to call the sender before proceeding. Additionally, whether the contact is by phone or e-mail, never give out personal data, credit card information or anything else before verifying the source.

It is also always important to remember what data you are sharing and how you are sharing it. Please remember to never email us, or anyone, your bank account number or other sensitive personal information. At TCV, any time we are emailing sensitive information, we do so using a secure link via Citrix ShareFile. You will also find a link in all our email signatures where you can upload information securely to us. Please be sure to use this when sending us statements, documents, or other personal information.

While traveling, my number one rule is never to connect to a public, hotel, or airport WIFI. There are VPNs (virtual private networks) that you can purchase to ensure that you are protecting your network and, if you are connecting to a “free” WIFI, you should invest in their monthly subscription. Otherwise, with most cell phone services now, you can use your “hotspot” to connect other devices. So long as you have decent cell service, activating your personal hotspot should work to connect your laptop, tablets or even TV.

Speaking of “hotspots”… During a recent snowstorm, when we lost our internet for a week, I was still able to work from home and even get our smart TV connected, much to my son’s surprise! Just be sure that your hotspot is protected using a strong password. For added protection, I also change my settings to prevent others joining when I am not using my hotspot.

My last tip will probably make many, including my father, cringe; he despises change, especially if it’s changes in how his phone looks and functions. While it can be obnoxious to have the accustomed look or functionality of your phone, browser, or other software change, it is important to keep devices, apps, and software up to date. Many times, updates include important security fixes. Absent security updates, your devices become vulnerable. I know many are skeptical to download the newest version of software in case there are bugs, but keeping up with new releases is an important step to securing your data.

A list of other settings and general items that you should always consider are below:

• Never share your passwords with anyone.
• If you can turn on multifactor authentication, do so.
• Do not click the “unsubscribe” button on emails. These can be links to malware. Simply delete or mark as junk instead.
• Always change generic passwords that come with
  routers or other devices
• Always turn your home internet to private.
• Be cautious if connecting any device to a public picture kiosk or similar—these can have malware on them that can transfer.
• Always stop and think before you click.

At least annually, you should also review the below:

• Email forwarding rules—Is there anything you don’t recognize?
• Social media settings—Do you have your location tracking on? Have you allowed other apps permission to connect to your profile? Is your profile set to private?
• Review mobile apps—Should the apps have access to your location, contacts, camera or microphone, messages?

Although we can never be 100% protected in today’s everchanging world, it is my hope that we can all make it a little harder for the cyber criminals. It is important that we do our best to protect our own data and personal information. Remember, you are the first line of defense, and it is always okay to ask questions, or for help understanding your privacy.