GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — According to a study by the University of Maryland, a hacker launches a new cyberattack every 39 seconds. That’s at least five attacks in the time it will take you to read this story.
For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Better Business Bureau of Michigan is reminding us how to stay digitally connected without putting our personal information at risk.
“Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a moment to remind everyone that literally everyone is at risk, not just consumers,” Nakia Mills with the BBB explains. “Businesses are at risk, too.”
Cyberattacks aim to obtain, modify, or destroy personal information and extort money from individuals and organizations. Billions of login credentials have landed in the hands of hackers as a result of these attacks. The primary way people get hacked is by reusing the same password across multiple sites, making it easy for hackers to access multiple accounts.
“It’s easier to remember a phrase, but it still is long and makes it harder,” Mills said. “A lot of specialists say you should have a password that’s at least 12 characters now.”
Nakia Mills with the BBB of Michigan has these tips to avoid becoming a victim:
Double Your Login Protection: Whether it’s an additional password, a code, or a fingerprint, this ensures that you are the only person who has access to your accounts. Do this for email, banking, social media, and other services you log into.
Switch Up Your Password: Customize your password for different sites you use, and consider using a password manager to help you remember different complex passwords.
Never Click and Tell: Limit the information you share over social media, including disabling location services that allow anyone to see where you are.
Stay Protected While Connected: Before you log in to public Wi-Fi at an airport, hotel, or café, double-check the login and password information. If possible, use your personal hotspot.
The BBB of Michigan also has tips on what to do if your account has been attacked. Those tips can be found here
