Tips to Protect Yourself Online During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis is encouraging Floridians to ‘Be Cyber Smart’ and is raising awareness to stay safe and secure online. As Floridians are spending more and more time in front of screens due to COVID-19, CFO Patronis is providing resources and tips to protect Floridians’ identity online.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time to raise awareness in communities statewide about the importance of cyber security and to ensure that all Floridians have the information they need to be safer and more secure online. With more and more Floridians paying bills, shopping and browsing online this year, the chances of getting scammed are on the rise, so consumers need to stay vigilant and beware of the signs of fraud. I encourage all individuals and businesses to take action today to ‘Be Cyber Smart’ and learn how to protect your identity online to ensure you don’t fall victim. Learn about the latest scams and report signs of fraud immediately at FraudFreeFlorida.com.”
Tips to Protect Your Identity Online
1. Don’t rush to act. Phishing emails often create a false sense of urgency and insist you act immediately on the request. This should always be a red flag. Suspicious emails sometimes appear to be sent from someone you know, so contact that person directly to verify it’s really from them—frequently it’s not.
2. Always be cautious of hyperlinks. Avoid clicking on hyperlinks in emails and hover over links to verify authenticity. Also, ensure that URLs begin with “https.” The “s” indicates encryption is enabled to protect users’ information.
3. Guard your details on social media. Cybercriminals can piece together important personal information from your social media accounts to make phishing emails more realistic and specific. Just because you receive an email containing details about you, such as your full name, job title, and address, that does not mean it’s coming from a legitimate source.
4. Try two-factor authentication. Help protect your accounts even if your passwords are hacked by using a two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication requires a password and another type of information to log in to your account, usually a code sent to you via text message.