Five Signs You’re About to Get Hacked — And What You Can Do to Prevent It

April 13, 2020 // News From the Edge cybersecurity, hack

Hackers love to go after businesses for all sorts of reasons. Many don’t invest in good IT security, and often, business owners and their teams have bad cybersecurity habits. Here are five ways you may be increasing your risk of a cyber-attack (and what you can do to reduce your risk):

Giving out your email. Just about every website wants your email address. If you share it with a vendor or an e-commerce site, it’s usually safe. However, some sites are more than willing to sell your email to the highest bidder. Because of this, your email address may end up in the hands of a hacker or a scammer. The more often you share your email, the riskier it is.To stay safe, don’t click on emails from unrecognized senders. If you recognize the sender but aren’t expecting anything from them, double check by phone or in person before clicking on any links or attachments. There’s always a chance it’s malware.
Not deleting cookies. Cookies are digital trackers used to save website settings and monitor your online behavior. For example, if you click an advertisement for a product, cookies are logged in your browser and shared with ad networks. This results in targeted advertising.There isn’t a good way to tell who’s tracking online, but you can still prevent your information from spreading. We recommend using more secure web browsers like Firefox and Safari to increase your control over who’s tracking you. Firefox allows you to set your Privacy & Security Preferences (click the three lines in the upper right corner and go into the “Options” menu); Chrome allows you to delete your browsing data (click “History” then choose “Clear Browsing Data”). You can also use ad-blocking extensions, like uBlock Origin, for a safe browsing experience.
Not checking for HTTPS. Most of us know HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, as a standard part of every web address. However, most websites now use HTTPS, with the “S” meaning “Secure.” Most browsers now automatically open HTTPS websites to increase user security, but not all sites use it.If you visit an unsecured HTTP website, any data you share with that site – your birthday or financial information, for example – is not secure. Your data could therefore end up in the hands of a third party, whether that be an advertiser or a hacker. To mitigate this risk, always look in the address bar of each site you visit. Look for the padlock icon. If the padlock is closed or green, you’re secure. If it’s open or red, you’re not secure. We recommend leaving any website that is not secure.
Saving passwords in your web browser. Browsers can save passwords with just one click. Although this may make things easier, this method of saving passwords is not secure. A hacker could easily force their way past your browser’s safeguards in order to gain access to your information.Protect yourself with a dedicated password manager – in other words, an app that keeps passwords securely in one place. Password managers can also suggest new, secure passwords when it’s time to update old ones. LastPass, 1Password and Keeper Security Password Manager are all good options. Find one that suits your needs and the needs of your business.
Believing it will never happen to you. This mentality is dangerous when it comes to cybersecurity and usually comes alongside a lack of preparation. If someone doesn’t think they’re a target, they’re less likely to invest in good security. In fact, business owners who think hackers won’t attack them are more likely to get hit with a data breach or malware.The best thing you can do is accept that you’re at risk. Truthfully, all businesses are at risk. However, you can lower your risk by investing in good network security, backing up all your data to a secure cloud network, using strong passwords, educating your team about cyber-threats and working with a dedicated IT company. Good IT security can be the best investment you make for the future of your business.