Take steps to protect against cyberattacks

With countries like China, Russia and North Korea becoming more aggressive in cyberattacks, and everyday fraudsters upping their game beyond the once easy-tospot spam emails filled with bad grammar, cybersecurity threats as a whole are growing more ominous for individuals, small-business owners and large corporations.

A sophisticated phishing email can bypass filters and anti-virus programs. Even upto-date, anti-virus software won’t do much good if consumers or employees carelessly download email attachments, experts say.

Here are some ways to arm yourself against such threats:

• Create a “coMplic@t3d” password. It’s easy to think we don’t have any control over cybersecurity breaches, but a strong password remains a solid defense, said Smirnoff and other experts.

A strong password will have at least 12 characters that include a mix of upper- and lower-case letters as well as numbers and special characters. Don’t reuse it on multiple sites.

• Be vigilant and recognize that cybercrime pays. Your personal information has great value to crooks, who can use it to open bogus accounts and file take tax returns. Be sure to shred bank statements and unused credit card offers before throwing anything away. Be cautious downloading apps, especially from sources you’re unfamiliar with.

• Be skeptical when you get an email from a CEO, your bank or even a favorite retailer. Remember, a bank isn’t going to ask you to confirm your Social Security number or account number — or ask for your password — via email or text. Stop before making a move and contact your bank directly.