CHEATSHEETS LIFE ETC
Like a home without a lock or security alarm, an unsecured cyber account screams “easy target!” for hackers and fraudsters.
Protect yourself from hackers and online fraudsters – here’s how.
Get two layers of security
Make use of a little-known feature called two-factor authentication (2FA) for your e-mail and social media accounts. It provides an additional layer of security when you log in – for instance, you may need to key in an extra verification code that’s sent to your mobile phone. Tech bigwigs like Google, Microsoft and Facebook offer 2FA to deter potential hijackers – activate it through each network’s settings page.
Change your passwords
Do this at least once every three months for accounts with sensitive personal information. Never use a password that contains information about yourself that can be easily obtained online – like your husband’s name – or common colloquialisms or a real word from any language. Go for random pass-phrases that are harder to crack, such as a string of unrelated words like #@pplem0nk3yp1e. You can subscribe to a password-management software like Trend Micro Direct-pass (free on Google Play), which helps you maintain multiple passwords and securely sign in to websites.
Don’t check-in
If you have the habit of checking in via Facebook or Instagram wherever you visit, stop now. When you check-in at home, you’re revealing your address to potential burglars and vandals. They may just swing by when you’re on holiday – they’ll know you’re out of town the minute you check-in at your hotel abroad. Cyber criminals can also use your check-ins to identify your favourite places and send you targeted scam e-mails. For example, if you always check-in at restaurants, you might get scam e-mails related to winning dining vouchers. Switch off your phone’s location services function so it doesn’t automatically disclose where you are.
Stop clicking on pop-up surveys and ads
These may lead you to a final landing page where you have to submit personal information before winning “rewards”. If you are logged on to an online session and a pop-up survey appears, fi ll it out only if you’re sure it’s from a trusted source. If not, it’s best to log out of the session and close all browser windows before restarting your session. You can also activate your browser’s built-in pop-up blockers.
NEVER SHARE...
1 YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION That includes your bank account number or a photo of your new credit card. People have been known to accidentally leak such data online, for instance, when a bill with one’s account number is accidentally captured in a photo.
2 YOUR NRIC NUMBER It is unique to you and used for almost all identication purposes in Singapore.
3 YOUR DATE OF BIRTH A recent survey by Trend Micro revealed that 66 per cent of Singaporeans post their birthdates on social media – not wise, because many companies and nancial institutions use your birthdate as a form of authorisation for nancial transactions.