Can you spot the differences?

Can you spot the differences in the emails you receive? How many times have you received an email and have quickly scanned through it? Probably so quick that you did not spot the differences as shown above. We all move at lightning speeds these days but unfortunately, when it comes to technology ~ email, text messages, social media, and more ~ you need to slow down and actually read the message.

Cyber Security is escalating by leaps and bounds these days. It seems every day, no wait, almost hourly, I hear of someone falling victim to a scam. The hackers have gotten so good, they are now “spoofing” phone numbers (for both voice and text) and email addresses. 

Take some of these tips and put them to use:

1. Create a secure password - you want your password to be strong, long, and difficult for someone else to guess. Use more than 10 characters with letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols, and do not include obvious personal information or common words. A good example of a strong password would be: m#P52s@ap$V
2. If you receive a text message that says “we are not able to deliver your USPS package, please click this link”. DO NOT click on the link – that is how they steal your information.
3. If you receive a telephone call from a bank or credit card you do business with and they say that they believe someone is trying to hack into your account, they will need to send a code to you for account verification. HANG UP and call the bank/credit card directly. 
4. When receiving emails that sound too good to be true, they most likely are! If you receive an email saying your ‘account’ (whatever account that might be) is locked, click here to regain access. DO NOT CLICK the link, especially if you know you don’t have whatever account they mentioned.
5. On your social media sites, PLEASE create a very strong password and set up a multi-factor authentication! It may take you a few extra minutes to log in, but I promise you it is worth it when the hacker cannot get into your site. And if you receive the message that someone is trying to access your account, that is a sign to change your password immediately!

Here are some additional blogs on protecting yourself

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If you have any questions on recommendations for protecting yourself digitally, please contact The Busy Bee Virtual Assistant today!