WASHINGTON — October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and experts are reminding Washingtonians to think twice before clicking suspicious links, sharing personal information or sending money.
Cybersecurity experts warn that one message, one click or one wrong move on a device can put personal information at risk.
Rosie Fontenot, chief lending officer at Northwest Plus Credit Union, said one of the biggest warning signs is when someone tries to create a sense of urgency.
“If someone is rushing you or threatening you, you should pause,” Fontenot said. “Usually this is a huge red flag.”
The threat goes beyond suspicious texts and phone calls. Data breaches can expose the personal information of millions of people.
According to the Washington Attorney General’s Office, 209 data breaches affected just over 8 million Washingtonians over the past year, with cyberattacks, particularly ransomware, the most common type of breach.
Fontenot recommends regularly updating passwords, using strong passwords and turning on multi-factor authentication when available.
“Multi-factor authentication is a huge one, just setting that up to protect your accounts even more, and then just monitoring your accounts regularly,” Fontenot said.
She also recommends being cautious about the personal information shared online. Details such as birthdays, travel plans and pet names can give scammers information that may be used to piece together someone’s identity.
Fontenot said people should also be cautious about unsolicited calls and reach out to their financial institution when something doesn’t seem right.
“If it’s an unsolicited call, you don’t really have to pick it up,” Fontenot said.
If you believe you’ve fallen victim to a scam, experts recommend stopping communication with the scammer and contacting your bank or financial institution right away.
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