The coronavirus pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. On one side of the coin, we have watched in awe as our frontline healthcare workers put their safety — and that of their families — on the line over the last harrowing sixteen months. On the other side, the pandemic has shaken people to the core and brought with it waves of distrust, fraud, and theft. Some of this theft has been through old-fashioned scams like raising money for fake charities or preying on vulnerable seniors through phone calls and emails, while the more digitally savvy thieves have used the pandemic — and the surge of unemployment claims — to attack our infrastructure and steal billions of dollars of state unemployment funds.

Digital thieves and cybersecurity threats are the subject of today’s post. Here are some things you can do to defend yourself and your identity in a time of heightened fraudulent activity:

1. Accept that your personal information is on the dark web, including your Social Security number and date of birth. There have been so many data breaches over the last few years that everyone reading this ought to assume their information is out there. This is not an issue that can be avoided by thinking that it does not apply to you. It does.

2. Freeze your credit with the three major reporting agencies: Transunion, Experian, and Equifax. This is the most important thing you can do to protect your identity. The process has gotten easier to manage over the years, and what used to be a cumbersome process has been streamlined.

3. Report any unauthorized or questionable activity around state unemployment benefits. States have seen dramatic increases in fraudulent filings and, while many of these filings are caught and never paid out, others get through. Many states have set up websites where you may report this activity. Oregon’s is here: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/unemployment-insurance-fraud-id-theft

4. Opt in to the IRS offering for an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). As of 2021, the IRS is now offering this protection against tax identity fraud to anyone and not just those who have been victimized in the past. This unique PIN is required each time you file tax returns. https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin

5. Remember that email is almost always going to be the first point of attack. Be VERY careful when reading email and opening attachments or clicking on links. Questions you should have in mind are:

• Do I know the person emailing me?
• Was I expecting this person to email me an attachment or include a link?
• Is there anything fishy about the email address of the person sending me an attachment?

DO NOT open attachments or click on links from people you do not know and sound the alarms when an email instructs you to “update personal information” (change your password, update billing information, enter credit card numbers, etc.). When in doubt, use the hover rule to validate link URLs (hover your cursor over the link to view the full website address, but DON’T click on it). Trust your instinct if something does not feel right, and always think twice before opening an attachment or clicking on a link.

6. Use better passwords and strongly consider a password management system such as LastPass, Bitwarden, and 1Password, all great options. These are low-cost, super easy to use, and a terrific safeguard against the risk of vulnerable passwords. The longer your password is, the more difficult it will be for someone to guess. Avoid common traps like using the same password across platforms, using the same phrase over time while switching out one character when updating, and using birthdays/pets/kids’ names.

7. Be mindful of what you post on social media. Facebook loves to remind the world of everyone’s birthdays, for instance, and many users feed potential thieves a treasure trove of information that might help them guess a password, as they regularly respond to strangers’ posts about their favorite sports teams, athletes, movies, bands, etc. (Many users also post vacation pictures, which is a good way to let those old-fashioned thieves know that your house may be empty.) Understand that by sharing any personal information online you are risking exposure and possible identity theft. Consider restricting social media accounts to be accessible only to friends.

8. Enable email/text alerts and notifications with your bank, credit card companies, and anywhere you manage your investments.

9. Maintain a healthy digital hygiene. We develop wholesome lifestyle habits in our lives; the same should be said for establishing healthy digital habits to protect the electronic information and assets that have been exposed on the internet. Along with using secure passwords, it is best practice to close any unused/stale online accounts, ensure your antivirus tools are active, regularly update your operating system and software, review the security/privacy settings on social media accounts, and use Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) whenever possible.

10. Subscribe to an ID monitoring service. This type of service can provide some level of assurance and confidence for you and your entire family.
https://www.cnet.com/news/best-identity-theft-protection/

11. Be cautious of public wi-fi and avoid providing or accessing any sensitive data across a network that is not private. This includes logging into bank accounts, using your credit cards, shopping, etc. With public wi-fi comes great risk as these are easy targets for hackers. The same applies to your home wi-fi. Be sure to always require a strong password to connect to your wi-fi network.

Technology continues to encroach on all areas of our lives, much to our benefit. With the added connectivity of all things in a digital world — from our cars and phones to our refrigerators and light switches — comes added opportunity for would-be thieves to wreak havoc. The steps outlined above ought to protect you from many of the currently identified threats. Our team will continue to provide updates in this space as appropriate and we welcome the chance to talk with you about the steps you can take to protect you and your loved ones.

Related posts: Keeping our Families Safe in a Cyberworld