Cyber Security Awareness

Cyber Security Protect Yourself from Scam Text Messages ... These scam text messages , called smishing ,are a growing problem . They use a targeted approach to get your personal information . Here are some tips to help you avoid being scammed : Don't click on any links or open any attachments contained in the message . When in doubt , forward the message to spoof@yourcarrier.com for review . Do not provide any personal information to the scammer . The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) has additional information on romance scams . Impostor scams are when a scammer pretends to be someone you know or trust to convince you to send them money . They may even claim they are with the FDIC or another government agency . These scams are communicated through emails , phone calls , letters , text messages , faxes , and social media . The messages might ask you to " confirm " or " update " confidential personal financial information , such as bank account numbers . In other cases , the communication might be an offer to help victims of current or previous frauds with an investigation or to recover losses . Humans are said to be the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain and could be easily targeted using social engineering attacks , such as phishing . Phishing can be defined as a fraudulent attempt made by hackers to lure a person into divulging their sensitive information , such as username , password , credit / debit card details , etc. Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks are social engineering attacks that are carried out by hackers , with phishing being the most common . Usually , attackers would use different tactics for social engineering attacks ; i.e. flooding you with malicious links and attachments in emails or using fake login pages to capture your credentials . A cyber attack happens when cybercriminals try to gain illegal access to electronic data stored on a computer or a network . The intent might be to inflict reputational damage or harm to a business or person , or theft of valuable data .

There are several ways to protect yourself from fraudulent calls and texts:

1. Do not answer calls or texts from unknown numbers.

2. Do not respond to text messages or calls that ask for personal information such as your social security number or credit card details.

3. Use caller ID blocking or call blocking apps to block unwanted calls.

4. Do not click on links or download attachments from unknown numbers or sources.

5. Be aware of common scam tactics, such as threatening phone calls or texts claiming to be from the government, banks or other organizations.

6. Report suspicious activity to your phone carrier or the police.

7. Keep your phone's software updated to ensure that security vulnerabilities are patched.

8. Be careful when giving your phone number online, and consider using a phone number that you only give to trusted sources.