The 411

Have you heard of the term “social engineering”? No, it’s not about creating digital friendships. It’s a sneaky technique that scammers and cybercriminals use to manipulate people into performing actions they may not even realize are against their best interests. But fear not! In this article, we’re diving into the world of social engineering to help you stay one step ahead of those tricky scammers. So, let’s get started! What is social engineering? At the heart of it, social engineering...

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could protect your password with another password? Multi-factor authentication gives you this power – think of it like placing your house keys in a safety deposit box that can only be opened by a facial scan. In some cases, this metaphor isn’t far off from reality. What is MFA? Multi-factor authentication is sometimes called two-factor authentication or two-step verification, and it is often abbreviated to MFA. No matter what you call it, MFA is...

2022 continued the trend for wire fraud losses. Even though we have been working to educate everyone about real estate transactions for the past several years, it seems that criminals still have the advantage. The FBI recently released the 2022 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Internet Crime Report, which was not good news. Reported losses from wire fraud (BEC/EAC) increased to over $2.7 billion. Overall, in 2022 over $10.2 billion and losses were reported to the FBI. That is a...

We all want security and the expectation of privacy that comes along with it. We want the confidence that what is ours ––our things, our spaces, and our information––is protected.    Most people pay at least something for peace of mind. To get there, we are willing to spend our own money on things that don’t benefit us in any other way. They simply protect our privacy and our property; Security software, door and security cameras, security services, the occasional...

Cyber Insurance provides coverage against losses resulting from cyber incidents such as data breaches, hacking attacks, and ransomware attacks. It helps businesses protect themselves from the financial impacts of cyber incidents and to manage the costs of responding to and recovering from these events. The coverage offered by Cyber Insurance policies can vary widely but often includes expenses such as: Cost of notification and credit monitoring services for affected individuals Legal fees and regulatory fines Costs of public relations and...

Are you worried about how much of your private information is on the internet and may be vulnerable to theft or misuse? Not surprising, online privacy is an important issue. But there are steps you can take to help manage financial and personal information while using your favorite social media, news, and entertainment sites. Limit the Personal Information you share on social media Providing too much information on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram could make it easier for cybercriminals to obtain...