Don’t become an internet victim

Special to Wesson News

Bobby Freeman 

For anyone who uses computers, cybersecurity needs to become a habit, Bobby Freeman, director of the cyber unit of Mississippi Homeland Security told a Co-Lin Institute of Learning in Retirement (ILR) luncheon audience.

The bad guys are out to get you with malware, phishing, and ransomware, he said.  Malware is intrusive software developed by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems.  When cybercriminals send you scam emails to lure you to a website that contains malware, they are phishing (smishing if they use text messages and vishing if they use fraudulent telephone calls to trick you into revealing personal information or sending money).  Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data and demands a ransom payment for its decryption, often delivered through phishing emails. 

Freeman said you can avoid becoming a cyber victim by:

• Improving password security. Passwords are one of the most vulnerable cyber defenses.

• Using secure networks.

• Keeping your personal electronic device software current.

• Be suspicious of unexpected emails.

He offered these specifics:

Passwords.  “Create strong passwords for your email, your personal website and those you visit and apps,” Freeman advised.  “Use different passwords for each one.”  Freeman suggested making strong, memorable passwords by using a favorite phrase or saying as the foundation, i.e., “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Use the first letter of each word or a symbol for a letter (i.e., “@” for “a’).  Flank the foundation letters with the numbers of a meaningful year, i.e. “1963,” the year you were born.  Your password would be: 19Bo@fft63. 

“Keep your passwords private,” Freeman added.  “Don’t share or post them”

Privacy.  On personal devices, social media accounts and other places you visit in the cyber sphere, use privacy settings if they are available, Freeman counseled.  “Limit your communication on the internet to friends and known contacts,” he said.

Updates.  System and app updates often revolve around fixing security vulnerabilities, Freeman noted.  “Add updates as soon as you get them,” he stressed.

Communications.  Cautiously communicate on the internet, Freeman warned.  “Be wary of email messages from unknown sources,” he said.  “Check before you respond to or even opening suspicious messages.  “Go to websites directly rather than using links that are provided in suspicious emails.  Hackers can create emails that look like they have be been sent by respected sources.  Bad grammar and misspellings are red flags.  Think before you share or post internet messages.  The app you’re using may say it deletes old messages, but the internet never forgets.”

Parental controls.  A special concern for parents and grandparents, Freeman said, is cyberbullying -- sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else that causes embarrassment or humiliation over cell phones, computers, and tablets through SMS, Text, and apps, or social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content.  A starting point for addressing this concern are the parental controls on digital devices, he pointed out.