The “cyber incident” that shut down Cleveland City Hall in early June is a good reminder that the internet is dark and full of terrors. Here are a few reminders to keep yourself safe.
Use strong passwords — and change them
NordPass, which develops password management software, conducts surveys every year to find the most commonly used passwords. In last year’s survey, “123456” topped the list. “Admin” was second. “Password” made the top 10.
More than 40 years after the movie “War Games” showed the danger of an easily guessed password, some people are still putting zero thought into securing their accounts.
Google and other sources recommend using a passphrase — a few words that are memorable to you, like a favorite song lyric, movie quote or funny thing your kid said. Mix in random capitalizations, numbers and symbols, for a total of at least 12 characters.
You also need to use different passwords for different accounts. And change them occasionally. Yes, that’s a hassle, but email account information is stolen in data breaches all the time. Put your addresses in HaveIBeenPwned.com to see which of yours were affected. (I checked one of mine while researching this article and discovered that it’s been involved in a dozen different data breaches.)
When it’s offered, use two-factor authentication too.
Don’t get phished
Phishing refers to a wide variety of methods that cybercriminals use to trick people into sending money, sharing sensitive information or downloading malicious software (malware). For example, true story: As I was working on this, I received a text trying to get me to make a payment on a supposed unpaid toll in Florida. (Technically that’s “smishing,” because it was sent via SMS text, according to the FBI.)
A scam like that is a numbers game — send the text blindly to thousands of people and hope that a few fall for it. But some phishing scams are more sophisticated, appearing to be from a real company or government agency and possibly even using the target’s name. If an email or text solicitation asks for personal information, or appears the slightest bit suspicious for any reason, find some other way to verify it.
Teach the children well
Bullying and stalking aren’t the only dangers to kids online. The National Cybersecurity Alliance offers detailed advice on talking to kids about security and privacy.
“The goal should not be for parents to monitor everything,” the NCA explains, “but instead to teach teens how to be responsible digital citizens.”
