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The cybersecurity attack on Memorial Health System is a good reminder for us all to be careful online and with our online accounts. While most people will never be the subject of an attack such as what happened to Memorial Health System, its always a good thing to remain vigilant when dealing with online accounts and emails.
McAfee.com has some tips for internet safety for families. Among them are:
Creating strong, unique passwords. Yes, it is a pain to have different passwords for different accounts, it is safer because using the same password for all of your accounts just means if hackers can figure it out, they now have access to all of your accounts. If it is hard to remember all of those passwords -- and let's face it, it probably will be -- use a password manager to store them or even a notebook at home.
Make sure your connections are secure. Don't use free public Wi-Fi, tempting though it may be, as they are often unsecured and make it easy for a hacker to get into your system. Also, at home use a firewall with your system, which will prevent access to your computers and devices.
Think before you click. Does that email from your boss come from his work account? Did you order anything from that company, and is that email actually from an email address that is associated with that company? There are many phishing scams out there to get your personal information or access to your computer through bad links. Make sure you are actually going to real sites for banks and stores -- be on the lookout for bad grammar or misspellings. Addresses that deal with credit card information should always have https at the beginning of the website address or a padlock icon. Also, be careful of what you share on social media, as many "trends" and quizzes are also just attempts to get your personal information. While on your smartphone, do not click on links sent by random texts, they are also ways to get into your phone and then into your accounts.
Keep up to date. Make sure you have the latest operating system for your phone and computer. Turn on automatic updates if you need to -- these updates will likely have security patches.
Everyone needs to be wary of their online activity. The internet can be a fun place, but there are also predators lurking there. Keep your guard up.