SAN ANTONIO — As you sanitize your hands and disinfect your home, remember your cyber hygiene during the pandemic. Here are tips to strengthen your security online.
The Federal Trade Commission has tracked consumer complaints since January 1, 2020. According to the data, the total fraud loss in the United States is more than $90 million. The FTC tracks the number of cases involving fraud, identity theft and other related crimes. The agency reports that fraud is the number one consumer complaint. The top reports for Texas were online shopping, travel/vacation, credit cards, banks/savings and loans/credit unions and credit bureaus.
As many of us spend more time online, there is more opportunity for cyber criminals to get a hold of our sensitive information. KENS 5 spoke with a financial advisor who shared ways to strengthen your security online and avoid financial trouble.
“The simplest thing people can do is use two-factor authentication. Sometimes you see it as 2FA. A lot of banks offer this now. Some places actually require it and all it does is text you a very specific code, that’s only for a very limited time. So, you have to punch that in. It's a password, plus a number that changes periodically,” explained Karl Eggerss, senior wealth advisor and partner of Covenant.
Another tip he recommends is to get a password manager.
“I see a lot of people write their passwords down on a yellow pad. If you have a password manager, it will actually create passwords for you that are encrypted,” explained Eggerss. “You just have to have one master password to get into the password manager. They’re very cheap. Some of them are free.”
Eggerss also, suggests setting up a virtual private network (VPN).
“If you’re at a coffee shop, you’re at a hotel, and if you want to use their free internet and their free wi-fi, you can do that. But what's best is to have your own virtual private network. And all it does is creates a sign-on. It's a tunnel that protects,” said Eggerss. “Makes your connection much more stable and much more secure.”
If you fall victim to a security breach, he recommends freezing your credit.
“Go to the 3 major credit bureaus and freeze your credit immediately. Number two is change your passwords on almost everything else you have, especially your banking and more sensitive information,” he said.
The three major credit agencies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They are offering free weekly credit reports through April 2021 that you can access online.
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