Author: SANS Institute Security Awareness Tip of the Day

Eventually, we all have an accident or get hacked. And when we do, backups are often the only way to recover. Backups are cheap and easy; make sure you are backing up all of your personal information at home (such as family photos) on a regular basis.

If you have kids with mobile devices, create a central home charging station in your bedroom. Before the kids go to bed at night, have them put their mobile devices there so they are not tempted to play with them when they should be sleeping.

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) create encrypted tunnels when you connect to the Internet. They are a fantastic way to protect your privacy and data, especially when traveling and connecting to untrusted or unknown networks, such as at hotels or coffee …

Every plugin or add-on you install in your browser can expose you to more danger. Only install the plugins you need and make sure they are always current. If you no longer need a plugin, disable or remove it from your browser via your browser’s plugin …

Eventually, we all get hacked. The bad guys are very persistent and we can all make a mistake. If you suspect you have been hacked never try to fix the situation, instead report it right away. If you try to fix the situation, such as paying an online r…

Never share your passwords with others, including your supervisor or coworkers. Your password is a secret; it only works if only you know it. If anyone else knows your password, you may be responsible for their actions.

When hosting a video conference, make sure you password protect the conference so only authorized individuals can join. If there are any strangers or people who you do not recognize on the call, remove them.

Do you plan on giving away or selling one of your older mobile devices? Make sure you wipe or reset your device before disposing of it. If you don’t, the next person who owns it will have access to all of your accounts and personal information.

Ever wonder just how much information is publicly available about you? Ever wonder how cyber criminals harvest information and customize attacks for their victims? The technique is called Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and it is far simpler and more …

Did you know you are 100 times more likely to lose a laptop or mobile devices than have it stolen? When you are traveling, always double-check to make sure you have your devices with you, such as when leaving airport security, exiting your taxi or chec…

Never give your password to someone over the phone. If someone calls you and asks for your password while saying they are from the Help Desk or Tech Support team, it is most likely an attacker attempting to gain access to your account.

You may not realize it, but you are a target. Your computer, work, personal accounts, and your information are all highly valuable to cyber criminals. Be mindful that bad guys are out to get you.

Bad guys are very persistent, eventually anyone can make a mistake. If a phone call from the "Help Desk" doesn’t sound quite right, if an email seems suspicious or if a program you installed starts acting funny, ask for help! In addition, pe…

Ransomware is a special type of malware. Once it infected your computer, it encrypts all of your files and demands you pay a ransome if you want your files back. Be suspicious of any emails trying to trick you into opening infected attachments or cli…

When hosting a video conference, make sure you password protect the conference so only authorized individuals can join. If there are any strangers or people who you do not recongize on the call, remove them.

When shopping online, always use your credit cards instead of a debit card. If any fraud happens, it is far easier to recover your money from a credit card transaction. Gift cards and one-time-use credit card numbers are even more secure.

Two-step verification (also called two-factor authentication or 2FA) is one of the best steps you can take to secure any account. Two-step verification is when you require both a password and code sent to or generated by your mobile device. At a min…

If you have kids with mobile devices, create a central home charging station in your bedroom. Before the kids go to bed at night, have them put their mobile devices there so they are not tempted to play with them when they should be sleeping.