Tip of the Month: Using Email While Prioritizing Safety and Security

Tip of the Month: Using Email While Prioritizing Safety and Security

You probably use your email every day without even thinking about it. Email is, however, one of the main places hackers go when they want to steal personal information. Here are three easy steps you can take to keep your email secure.

Use Strong, Unique Passwords

A strong password is like a firm lock on your front door: it should be tough to crack. Here’s how to make one:

  • Mix it up -Use a combination of letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols.
  • Be unique – Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. If a hacker gets one password, they can get into everything.
  • Don’t use obvious info – Avoid using your name, birthday, or anything easily guessed. For the most secure password, try a random phrase that incorporates the above tips. 

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (or 2FA) is like adding an extra lock to your door. When you turn on 2FA, you’ll need a code (often sent to your phone) each time you log in, along with your password. Even if someone gets your password, they can’t get in without that code. Here’s how to set it up:

  • Go to your email settings.
  • Look for security settings, and find two-factor authentication (sometimes called multi-factor authentication or verification)
  • Follow the steps, and you’ll be much safer from hackers.

Be Careful with Links and Attachments

Cybercriminals often use emails to try and trick you. If you get an email with a weird link or an unexpected attachment, that’s a red flag. Signs it could be fake include:

  • It’s from an unknown sender.
  • The email says urgent action is needed, like “reset your password now” or “claim your prize!”
  • There are spelling errors, strange phrases, or it just seems off.

If you’re unsure, don’t click on anything. Instead, try checking directly with the person or company who supposedly sent it, or just delete the email if it looks fishy. If you can’t verify the authenticity of the email, you should move on and report it to your IT administrator.

Email is an important part of doing business, and these three tips will help you keep your account and your organization’s data secure. For more great tips and tricks, check out our blog.

Related Posts

Have You Ever Considered What a Ransomware Attack Would Do to Your Customers?

It can be too easy to look at ransomware as a business problem. After all, it attacks businesses, locking down their data for ransom, often selling it or spreading it, and sometimes altering it for the business if returning it at all. It can be too easy to overlook another impacted target in all the mess. What happens to the people whose data a business has collected and uses? The Impact of Ra...

Why You Absolutely Need to Build a Solid DR Strategy

Imagine waking up one day to find your phone wiped clean with no contacts, no photos, and no messages. Now, picture this happening to an entire business, where all their files, data, and systems are gone. Scary, right? That’s why businesses need a Disaster Recovery (DR) system. It helps them bounce back when things go wrong. Here’s how to build one. Have a Hierarchy of What Needs to Be Secured ...

Can Your Organization Benefit from Digital Document Management?

In business, paper tends to pile up, gets lost, and sometimes mysteriously multiplies overnight like gremlins exposed to water. If your business is drowning in paper or struggling to find important files, it might be time to consider digital document management. But when exactly does it make sense to invest in this technology? Let’s break it down. Your Filing System is a Dumpster Fire If findi...

These IT Threats Can Ruin Your Business

Technology is a major part of today’s business. It’s fair to say anyone that works in business today is at least semi-proficient with the technology needed to complete their tasks. Unfortunately, for many people, however, the fact that their business requires complicated technology is problematic. This is because at any given moment there are people looking to undermine their job, seeking access t...