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Fraud Prevention Month: Are you protected against cybercrime?

Vision Credit Union • Mar 22, 2021

Seven online practices to boost your personal cyber security



In 2020, the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre (CAFC) received 101,483 fraud reports involving nearly $160 million in reported losses. March is Fraud Prevention Month, a period when the CAFC reminds Canadians to guard against the various types of fraud.

 

 

These days, there’s a lucrative black market for financial or personal data. Credit card numbers, names, addresses, passwords and more are all coveted by unscrupulous data thieves who make a living off cybercrime. And with so much of our personal and financial information stored on our devices and computers, being cybersecurity-aware isn’t just for tech professionals, it’s a crucial practice for almost everyone.

 

 

Here are seven critical cybercrime prevention strategies to add to your online practice:

 

Up your password game

 

 

Have you had the same password combination of your birthday and your dog’s name for the past five years? It’s time to change that. Upping your password game is the first and most obvious step to being more cyber secure. Consider employing a passphrase instead of a password. A passphrase is several word phrase that includes spaces and punctuation. The length and complexity of a passphrase make it nearly impossible for hackers to breach. The best passphrases are easy to remember but contain a personal connection or detail that makes them unique to you.

 

 

Use two-factor authentication

 

 

Two-factor authentication requires a second verification step, such as the answer to a secret question or a personal identification number (PIN). In the event that a hacker guesses or cracks your password, two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security. Always opt for two-factor authentication when given an option.

 

 

Protect your mobile device

 

Use the passcode lock on your smartphone/devices to make it more difficult to access your information if your device is lost or stolen. Before you donate, sell or trade your mobile device, be sure to wipe it using specialized software or using the manufacturer’s recommended technique.

 

 

Keep software updated 

 

 

Those computer updates can be a pain when you’re waiting for them to load, but they often provide important cyber protection updates for your devices or computer. Turn on automatic updates to prevent potential attacks on older software.

 

 

Watch public wifi connections

 

 

Never use a public network for banking, online shopping, or any private work activities. If you’re out and must do any of these activities, use your phone’s data connection instead.

 

 

Check website security

 

 

Before buying something online or performing any online banking, check to make sure that the website begins with https:// or contains a padlock icon beside the address bar. This means the website is secure and information you provide to the website is encrypted.

 

 

Practice safe shopping

 

 

There are hundreds of thousands of online retailers, known as e-commerce vendors, and some are definitely more credible than others. Always opt to shop with an established retailer that you know, rather than smaller, unfamiliar sites that could merely be a facade for credit card theft.

 

Learn more about what Vision is doing to safeguard you from fraud and how you can protect yourself.



March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada

Watch for our series of articles on how to protect yourself from fraud with advice from Robinson and other experts. For more tips on how to prevent yourself from falling victim to scams, check out the Competition Bureau’s fraud page.

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