cybersecurity

Why you should never use your debit card at a gas station

This morning on the way to work, I was listening to the Todd and Jayde morning show. One of members of the show, Annie, talked about how she believes that she was a victim of debit card skimming at a gas station. The result was that someone tried to steal $500 from her account and she couldn't access any of her accounts online until the bank finishes investigating her case. Listening to the story, I had to look into the issue further myself and my conclusion is that you should NEVER use your debit card at a gas station. Do it the old fashioned way if you want that cash price, you have to use real cash over the debit card. Here's why.

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Cybersecurity: How to Lock Down Passwords and Protect Your Digital Life

Your username and passwords are under siege.  And the bad guys are getting really good.  Don't believe me?  Ask the Democratic National Committee about its email accounts, large companies, or government agencies. They've learned the hard way.  Massive security breaches are wide spread and taking place daily.  When these major entities are at risk, don't think that the username and the same password that you use for multiple sites are safe!  The US Securities and Exchange Commission says that cybersecurity is the biggest risk facing the financial system.  Security experts estimate that hundreds of millions of hacked usernames and passwords for email accounts and other websites are being traded by the criminal underworld.  This means that you may be exposed to cybercrimes either now or in the future.

After listening to the hosts of the popular podcast Reply All (episode #91 The Russian Passenger)1 investigate how their boss's Uber account was compromised, I'd like to provide you with quick actionable tips that you can implement immediately to protect yourself.

 

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3 Steps to Protect Your Brokerage Account From Cybercriminals

We are all aware of the increasing risks of cybercrime. Target, Home Depot and other major retailers have exposed the vast majority of Americans to cybercriminals; but most of us haven't seen the after effects… at least not yet. Therefore it is of utmost importance to protect your personal data as much as possible because you don't want to have your identity stolen. To do this you must stay ahead of the curve and more importantly ahead of the criminals.

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7 Things To Do Right Now Because Your Personal Data Is Under Attack

With the popularity of social media and increased time spent online, many of us have willingly sacrificed our privacy in order to keep in frequent contact with friends — sharing photos and details about where we ate dinner last night. However, it is the growth in our online shopping habits and preference to use plastic over cash that have increased our vulnerability to identity theft.

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5 Tips to Keep Thieves Out of Your Bank and Brokerage Accounts

Today, data breaches at major retailers like Target have made cybercrime front page news. It is unsettling because nobody knows when or what will happen once the personal information of tens of millions falls into the wrong hands. With ubiquitous computing, you cannot let your guard down for even a moment, especially when hackers are increasingly targeting bank and brokerage accounts. According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network, illegal wire transfers are outpacing cases of identity theft. In fact, wire-fraud cases in the securities industry are up tenfold over the past decade.

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