October is Cyber Security Awareness Month

Protect yourself, your family and your company from data security threats.  A hack of your information, even just your personal email account, can have serious repercussions for you, as well as for Endeavor clients, employees and systems. 

Here are some tips to proactively protect yourself:

Update Your Software.  Now’s the time to heed that update prompt on your smartphone and to make sure you’ve installed anti-malware software on your computer.  Here’s an article about why it’s important.

Don’t Take the Bait.   Don’t click on links in emails from unknown senders, and NEVER LOG IN to a site reached from an email link.  Instead, go to the site in a separate tab and log in the way you normally would.  If you suspect you’ve received a phishing email at work, report it immediately by clicking the "Report Message" button (located in the upper right hand corner of Outlook).

Be Password Paranoid. 
Be Strong.  Don’t use weak, guessable passwords.  Length is better than complexity.
Be Unique.  Don’t reuse passwords across multiple sites.
Be Careful.  Especially with passwords for authentication providers used by multiple sites (e.g.,  Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) or sites that store personal details like bank account information, passport numbers, etc.

Think Before You Post.  Hackers can use your posts to impersonate you or to craft very convincing phishing emails.  And before you post a photo, consider that many of today’s smartphone cameras attach "Exif" data to your photos, revealing your exact geolocation, time and date, and unique device ID.

Pause Before You Download.  Malicious apps are everywhere.

Be Wary of Public Wifi.  Open wifi networks and retail hotspots are prime venues for intercepting email credentials (even where password-protected).

Sign up for Identity Theft Protection Services.  There are a number of providers out there, so do your research and choose one that’s right for you.

Freeze Your Credit Report.  For employees in the U.S., place a credit freeze on your credit report with each of the credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  This makes it harder for identity thieves to open credit in your name. The freeze is free, but you may have to pay a fee to unfreeze the reports when you are applying for credit. For more information, click here.