CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
And even though October is coming to a close, it’s smart to be cyber secure year-round.
It’s no secret that scammers are getting smarter. So why not try to outsmart them?
Even people of all ages are being targeted nowadays – not just the elderly.
According to Vox, Gen Z is three times more likely to fall for online scams than their grandparents.
Social Catfish even reported that scammers made $210 million last year off people younger than 20.
That’s up from $8 million in 2017.
So how do we keep these scammers at bay?
Google cybersecurity experts have teamed up with America’s cyber defense agency, CISA, to share some safety tips for all your devices and apps.
First, keep your software up to date to keep from getting a virus.
They also recommend that you keep an eye out for unknown senders who request personal information, and use urgent language. It’s likely a scam.
This third tip really comes in handy for all the different passwords we have to make for various websites and apps.
If you have trouble remembering all of those passwords, Google and CISA recommend using a password manager. It creates and remembers strong passwords for you, making sign-ins simple and secure.
One way you can keep those passwords secure is by using multi-factor authentication.
Your accounts will be safer using it, if someone does happen to steal your password.
Multi-factor authentication requires an extra step to access your account.
A little more time logging in could save you from a big headache later on.
For more cybersecurity tips, go to safety.google and cisa.gov.
