Security Best Practices from PC after hours at our Get IT Secure Ministry Equip training on Jan. 16, 2019

5 Tips to Block Phishing Attacks via Email

1. Don’t reveal personal or financial information in an email.
2. Check the security of websites. This is a key precaution to take before sending sensitive information over the internet.
   <http> indicates the site has not applied any security measures, whereas <https> means it has.
3. Pay attention to website URLs. Employees may also be able to detect and evade the scheme by finding variations in spellings or a different domain (e.g.,.com versus .net).
4. Verify suspicious email requests. Contact the company they’re believed to be from directly.
5. Keep a clean machine. Utilizing the latest operating system, software, and Web browser, as well as antivirus and malware protection, are the best defenses against viruses, malware and other online threats.

9 Tips to Strengthen Password Security

1. Change passwords at least every three months for non-administrative users and 45-60 days for administrative accounts.
2. Use different passwords for each login credential.
3. Avoid generic accounts and shared passwords.
4. Conduct audits periodically to identify weak/duplicate passwords and change as necessary.
5. Pick challenging passwords that include a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and special characters (e.g. <$>, <%> and <&>).
6. Avoid personal information such as birth dates, pet names and sports.
7. Use passwords or passphrases of 12+ characters.
8. Use a Password Manager such as LastPass where users need just one master password.
9. Don’t use a browser’s auto-fill function for passwords.

Content courtesy of Nolan Venkatrathnam of PC afterhours, which offers practical technology solutions for individuals, small businesses and non-profits.