Security & Safety Resource Center

If you’re sending cash to a new contact on Venmo, it’s a good idea to do more than just search for their name and assume the first result is accurate and authentic. If possible, scan the recipient’s QR code to find their profile.

Whether for fun or functionality, somewhere along the lines, it’s possible that you replaced the default keyboard on your Android device. If you’re not 100% sure that the software you’re using is secure, consider switching back to the standard. In Settings, navigate to the General tab, then select “Language & keyboard.”

Most people know not to share their passwords with others, especially if they’ve been recycled. However, some people choose to disregard this advice when it comes to trusted guests who ask for access to their home network. Check with your internet service provider or update your router settings to establish a guest network instead.

In this scam, the criminal contacts the victim offering a refund for tech support services previously rendered. The criminal requests access to the victim’s device and instructs the victim to login to their online bank account to process a refund. As a result, the criminal gains control of the victim’s device and bank account. Consider that legitimate customer, security, or tech support companies will not initiate unsolicited contact with individuals.

Cybercriminals often scour social media profiles for private information that can be used to guess passwords or otherwise compromise your identity. Periodically check your Facebook privacy settings and look for posts that could provide unwanted information.

External HDDs can be a useful part of your backup strategy, even if you also use a cloud-based backup solution. When using one, make sure to keep it in a safe place where it won’t fall or get buried under other objects. Consider transferring its contents to other media after 4 years, when the risk of drive failure dramatically increases for most HDD models. If your extra hard on your equipment you may consider the added ruggedness and increased speed of Solid State Drives (SSD) which are now starting to come down in price.

Occasionally, you may want to leave a session running while you step away from your laptop for a second. You can do this by quickly locking your screen. Simply press either the search or the launcher button at the same time as the L key. Alternatively, you can click the clock in the bottom right corner of the screen and then select the lock icon.

When you leave your computer, you don’t want somebody else getting unauthorized access to it. Setting an automatic logoff timer ensures that it’s not susceptible when you step away for an extended period. This can be easily done on both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Ordering food using a new app? Completing an online purchase with a specialty vendor? Think twice about whether you want to create an account with them. Checking out as a guest leaves you with less to lose if the website in question experiences a data breach down the road.

To limit the chance that unauthorized individuals on your home network could access files from your computer, you may want to inhibit file sharing. This is especially true for individuals who work with sensitive information and have gone from a secure office network to their home wireless setup. Open Settings and select “Network and Internet.” From the sharing options section, turn off file sharing.

Typing in your credit card number on a new website is always a risk. The data could be exposed in a breach or intercepted through a man-in-the-middle attack. Many online shops, as well as brick-and-mortar stores, now accept payments from digital wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Many individuals will be checking their phones to keep tabs on package arrival times. Scammers know this, so expect a spike in delivery scam smishing — or SMS phishing — attempts. If you spot anything that seems suspicious, don’t click on any links. Verify the information through the company’s website or app.

You may not think much about top-level domains (TLDs), which include .com, .org and .net. Many new TLDs came online in the last few years, and a lot of them are connected with malicious activities like spam distribution. Be wary of .country, .stream and .download in particular, since they are almost exclusively suspicious.

To ensure that you’re able to preserve access and editing permissions on Google Docs, share files with your collaborators directly. This is also a preferable option over emailing attachments, which is a technique that is commonly exploited by phishers. From an open Doc, click the Share button in the top right corner. Add email addresses, adjust the permission settings. Then select “Done.”

Unrecognized devices connected to your subscription services could be an indication of a larger cybersecurity problem. To check recent device activity on your Netflix profile, open your Account page. Under the settings section, click “Recent device streaming activity.” Look for anything that seems out of place.

A program that spreads by first infecting files or the system areas of a computer or network router’s hard drive and then making copies of itself. Some viruses are harmless, others may damage data files, and some may destroy files entirely. Protect yourself and your devices with up-to-date antivirus software.

Protecting your children online means ensuring that they can’t access potentially harmful apps. From the child’s Android phone or Chrome OS device, navigate to “Parental controls” under “User controls.” Set up a personal identification number (PIN) that your child won’t guess.

Unless you remove them, Alexa will store text and audio recordings indefinitely. While this is used to improve the performance of your Echo or other devices, if unauthorized parties gain access, they can use personal information to hijack additional accounts. From the Alexa app, open Settings. Then select “Account Settings” and “History.” Delete the desired recordings.

It’s a best practice not to send sensitive, personal information over email whenever possible. When it can’t be avoided, Confidential Mode can give you some peace of mind. Before you hit Send, from the bottom row of the toolbar, select the Confidential Mode icon. It looks like a clock face with a padlock. You can set an expiration for the message and require an SMS passcode.

Out-of-date software is one of the biggest risks to data security. Numerous attacks have targeted known exploits in older versions of popular applications and operating systems. To be safe, use solutions like Total Defense Ultimate that automatically implement new updates as they become available.

For security and convenience, one of Chrome OS’s major benefits is its ability to integrate seamlessly with your Google Account. However, you should make sure to close out all connections if you choose to pass the device on to a trusted friend or family member. From Settings, scroll down to the section labeled “Advanced” and select “Reset settings.” Then, under “Powerwash,” press the reset button to get started.

Google Meet is a convenient videoconferencing solution. Now, users can protect their privacy and limit the potential exposure of personal information that might be visible on camera by using a virtual background. Before you enter a meeting, you’ll be directed to a preview page. Click the figure in the bottom right corner of the video screen to select a virtual background or blur your surroundings.

If you have short-term privacy concerns or you suspect that you might be an identity theft target, you can temporarily lock your Twitter profile. From the “Settings and privacy” menu, click “Privacy and safety.” Then select “Protect your Tweets.”

With the recent publicity around digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), maybe you’ve dabbled in the space and bought some yourself. The securest way to store these currencies is offline, on a USB drive or a “paper wallet,” which is a document containing all the information necessary for generating your BTC private keys and don’t forget your password management best practices.

Privacy-minded users may already be aware of services and browsers like DuckDuckGo. Now, this search engine offers private route planning. To use this feature, enter a location in the search bar. Click on the resulting map and select “Directions.” Route options will be displayed based on your anonymized current location.

The HTTPS Everywhere plug-in claims to enhance security by encrypting user communications with a wide variety of websites. It’s available for most major online and mobile browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera.

Spam messages can account for between 50 and 60 percent of all email traffic, depending on the time of year. In addition to containing potentially hazardous content, at that volume they can also easily eat up your entire inbox capacity. Instead of waiting the normal 30 days for automatic deletion, consider manually mass-deleting them each day to guarantee you have enough space.

ProtonMail is an email client that’s known for its strong security standards. By default, communication is encrypted between the service’s users. To encrypt communication with outside parties, before you send the email, select the Encryption button, which looks like a lock. You’ll be directed to set up a password that the recipient will have to enter in order to decrypt the email.