Quick Tips for Safeguarding Your Personal Data

The digital world allows us to control our lives with a few clicks of a mouse or the touch of a screen — but also increases the risk of fraud. Cybercriminals can crack shorter passwords in a few seconds or send sophisticated “phishing” emails designed to entice you to take an action that could compromise your accounts. Here are a few best practices we employ at GW&K that will help you to reduce your risk in the digital world.

PASSWORDS

• Create passwords that are complex, unique, and include numbers, letters, and special characters (e.g., !, $, %,*). Longer is better, so passphrases are good options. Passphrases are combinations of words that are meaningful to you and easier to remember — for example, jazz1oceansteak!,
  puppy54Bostonmountain*.
• Avoid using names, significant dates, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, or other options that could be easily guessed, such as “password123”.
• Do not share passwords or use the same password for different logins.
• Never save passwords to an internet browser when using a public device.

PHONE & EMAIL SCAMS

• Do not provide, validate, or confirm personal or financial information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers, to individuals you don’t know — especially over the phone. Be suspicious of anything that the caller or email sender says is “urgent.” If you receive a call from your bank, you can always hang up and call them back on a number you know to be legitimate.
• Carefully examine any email you receive that asks you to take an action. Doublecheck the sender’s e-mail address and review the content of the message for any irregularities in spelling, diction, punctuation, or format, which can be signs of fraud.
• Be extremely suspicious of any email or text message asking you to login to or enter your password for a site.
• Avoid clicking on links in emails altogether, especially for logging into a personal account at a financial institution. Instead, navigate to the website in your internet browser, and safely login there.
• Do not open, download, or click on unsolicited or unexpected email attachments.
• Activate your email’s spam filters to help filter out suspicious and unsolicited emails.
• Conduct independent research on charities, travel, or business and investment opportunities you hear of from unsolicited calls or emails.

PERSONAL SECURITY MEASURES

• Be thoughtful about personal information you share online — including on social media sites. For example, be cautious about announcing vacation plans if that means your primary residence will be empty.
• Set a reminder to change passwords regularly – a good New Year’s resolution!
• Use face and voice recognition to unlock personal devices or access websites when possible.
• Protect and lock devices that store passwords, credit cards, and personal information.
• Check regularly for system updates that may improve security on your personal devices.
• Secure home internet networks with a password.
• Be cautious when joining public Wi-Fi networks.
• Educate and assist children and elderly family members with cybersecurity best practices.
• Where possible, set-up two-factor authentication, which requires a second identity check in addition to your password to access a website or device, such as a one-time code sent via text message.
• Review your bank and credit card ledgers frequently and promptly report any unfamiliar activity to your financial institution.

Please reach out to your GW&K representative if you have any questions.