Cyberattacks have been the number one security concern for organizations all around the world for quite some time. As time passes by, technological improvements not only produce better security systems but also better ways for hackers to be more powerful.
Over the years, studies show cyber threats are always getting more powerful than their countermeasures, which is why at the end of the day, it is up to us to use all the preventative measures we can to keep ourselves and our organization safe from cyber frauds.
In this guide, we’ve made a list of 11 fundamental fraud prevention techniques that you should follow in this developed internet era to keep your data safe and secure from hackers and scammers.
Fraud Prevention Tips You Need To Follow
USG Security, one of the most rapidly growing Walter Soriano initiatives, is your best partner for security against fraudulent activity to keep you and your business safe and secure. We use the most advanced technologies to protect hundreds and thousands of businesses worldwide.
However, it is better to prevent than cure, which is why we accumulated the most common reasons organizations get breached and made the perfect guide that protects you from improper security management.
Never store or share passwords, PINs, and sensitive information on your phone
Mobile phones, no matter how personal they may seem, are the most accessible device for scammers and hackers. Choose passwords and PINs that you can remember yourself, or if you need to keep them in your phone, make sure your phone is biometric protected and the notes app itself requires another verification layer to access.
Another common way for scammers to access your information doesn’t include hacking your phone but making you give your information away to them. They do this through calls, pretending to be an organization (mostly your bank), and asking for your bank details.
To make things seem real, the scammers almost always warn you in disguise that you’re under a potential threat and they’re only asking for your account details to keep you secure.No official organization would ask for sensitive information on a call so be sure to NEVER share sensitive information over texts, emails, or calls.
Enable Mobile Banking and Bank Notifications
Most hackers or scammers go directly for your financial assets i.e. your bank account. This is why you need to have a complete vision of your financial activity.
Ask your bank to enable mobile banking and push notifications for your phone so you are notified as soon as there is any transactional activity made on your account. If you can’t verify it, you can report it right away and get reimbursed more easily and quickly.
Switch over to Credit Cards
While having a credit card may help you spend more than you should during a shopping spree at some times, it is certainly more secure than a debit card. A scam attack on a debit card can wipe your bank account to 0, and it would take you months to recover it. However, since credit cards have a Zero liability policy, even in the unfortunate case of an attack, you can easily receive a new credit card and recover damages in little to no time.
Get A Shredder
Sensitive information can be anywhere. From an electricity bill to a credit card, you need to waste paper and cards securely. A shredder can ensure discarded waste does not give away your personal information to hackers or scammers
.Ignore emails from strangers
Whether it’s an individual or a business trying to approach you, it’s always safest never to open emails you weren’t expecting. A study showed over 83% of organizations surveyed claimed that they experienced phishing (hacking through email) attempts in 2020. Scammers try to lure people in with attractive email subjects to make you go through links that can redirect you to fishy websites that can hack your personal information.
Always verify your contacts
Even if it’s not an email, sometimes hackers can pretend to be your friends or family members to gain your trust and ask for personal information. This is why you should always verify if you’re talking to the right person and just to be safe not open any emails, texts, or direct messages on social media apps from unknown contacts.
Get a VPN subscription
Most hackers steal your information in between the connection your device makes to a web server. However, with the help of a VPN, your device can make an encrypted and secure connection with the web server, making it impossible for hackers to access your information between the digital handshake. This also makes it safe to connect to public networks without the threat of hacking attempts.
Password protect your devices
Make sure all the devices that you use, including laptops, phones, PCs, etc. are all password protected. Choose strong passwords, and where possible, always go for biometric verification since it’s your most secure option.
Never connect to public WiFi
As mentioned before, most hackers and scammers actively participate in waiting in public areas for people to connect to public Wi-Fi networks. Since these networks are not protected, it is extremely easy for hackers to intercept information while your device is connected to that public network. This is why the safest option for you is to prefer using your mobile data connection or buying a hotspot device instead of connecting to public networks.
Install security updates
Most operating systems, whether it be Windows, Android, or iOS, regularly release updates for their users for them to download and install on their devices. Even if an update does not have attractive features, it will most likely include security updates that can be installed on your device to make it more secure. This is why you should enable the auto-update software settings on your devices and make sure they’re always running the latest patch of the operating system.
Keep an eye on your children’s accounts
If you are an essential stakeholder of an organization, you not only bear the responsibility to secure your own devices but your partners or your families’ devices as well. The easiest interlink for hackers to significant personalities is to hack their children’s accounts which are rather left ignored and unsupervised while containing valuable information.
If you have children, you should regularly monitor their accounts and devices to make sure they’re secure. And warn your children never to share personal information with strangers online.
Conclusion
Following the above-mentioned practices, you should be safe from most hacking attempts. However, if your business cannot risk even minimally, as most important businesses should, consider partnering up with Walter Soriano’s most successful initiative to date, USG security. USG security plans are tailored specifically to you and your business needs, prioritizing your internet privacy and making sure your digital presence stays anonymous and safe.