Marin CyberSafe News: Share with Care

In This Issue

• Retail Rewards and Other Online Accounts
• Phishing Emails
• Fraudulent Phone Calls (Vishing)

• Social Media

   

   

   

From the desk of Jason Balderama, CISO, County of Marin

It is very easy to find any information you need in today’s connected world. Have you ever Googled yourself to see what information about you is online? A search can often provide your address history, phone number, age, birthdate, employment information, public records, and social media accounts. Consider what can be done with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from the perspective of a cyber-criminal looking to commit identity theft or other crimes.

Children, teens, and senior citizens are all groups who may not realize how vulnerable they are to being a victim of cyber-crime. Senior citizens may be more trusting of the material that is presented to them online. Children and teens are growing up with technology, and may be using it to communicate with each other with only a recreational level of understanding. They may not realize that once you post online, it rarely goes away.

In order to keep information safe, we need to take care in sharing it, and teach cyber hygiene to those who may not understand its importance. Here are examples of how we are asked to provide information, or how people share information that should be kept private.

Retail Rewards and Other Online Accounts

When you sign up for retail rewards or other online accounts, you are asked to provide information such as name, address, phone number, birth date, and email address. By providing this, you can get discounts on the merchandise they are selling or can receive promotions by email. However, is the information you provide kept private, or is it sold to other companies so they can market to you?

Read the terms of use and privacy policy before signing up for such programs.

Phishing Emails

Cyber criminals will offer false and unbelievable deals to get you to click on a link and provide them with your information. You may hear about a loan offer, or a notification that your order shipped and that you need to log in by clicking a link to track it. Criminals seek your information to steal your identity and use it to open fraudulent accounts in your name.

Always shop with trusted vendors, and never follow an unsolicited link in an email asking you to log in to an account. Instead, head to the website you normally use by typing it into your browser to check on your account.

Fraudulent Phone Calls (Vishing)

Criminals may call saying they are from Microsoft or another company, telling you that your software has expired or your device is infected with malware. They may ask for money to renew a license as a method to complete the fraudulent activity. Other criminals may pose as the IRS, pressuring you into paying taxes.

Never offer payment information or personal information to someone calling you unsolicited. Always end the call and attempt to contact the organization through a publicly listed phone number that is legitimate, then see if you need to work with them on a problem.

Social Media

Social media provides a space where you can chat with friends and family. The issue is that anything you post or share is likely a permanent submission that many others can access online. Oversharing on social media may lead to you voluntarily giving up answers to account security questions, like the color of your car or the town where you were born. Also, posting about being on vacation sends a signal to criminals that your home may be unoccupied and a great target for a robbery!

With all this information about you on social media, be sure to set your account privacy settings to limit who can view your content. Consider deleting old, unused social media accounts to cut down on your digital footprint.

When communicating with people or posting online, avoid sharing too much. When receiving emails, mail, or calls asking for sensitive information, always use the legitimate address or phone number you normally would to contact that organization. Remember, do not share information if you did not initiate the communication.

Disclaimer

The information provided in Marin CyberSafe News is intended to increase people’s awareness of cybersecurity and to help them behave in a more secure manner. Links in this newsletter are provided because they have information that may be useful. The County of Marin does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in the links and neither endorses nor intends to promote the advertising of the resources listed herein. The opinions and statements contained in such resources are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions of County of Marin.

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