TIDBITS
CYBERSECURITY TIP # 1 By Kari Hebrank , Executive Vice President
If you have ever had your bank account hacked , experienced random purchases made with your Amazon or other online retail accounts or been the victim of stolen credit card information , it may be time to start paying attention to cybersecurity . To this end , I recently participated in a cybersecurity webinar that focused on the vulnerabilities on smart devices . Here are some quick tips to begin taking action today at work and at home for your own cybersecurity protection .
Turn off microphone access to all third-party apps ( such as Facebook ) in the Settings on your smartphone :
iPhone : Go to Settings > Facebook ( or any other app ) > slide the toggle next to the Microphone to the left , so it turns from green to white .
Never download an app from outside of the App Store . Assume every app is corruptible and that anything you download can be used against you .
Be aware of where your electronic devices are located in your work space . Remove or isolate them from “ hearing ” as a precaution when appropriate .
Turn your cell phone off and then back on ( rebooting ) at least once a week . This helps to prevent hackers from accessing personal information . According to the National Security Agency ( NSA ), this simple weekly action can make personal devices more secure and make it harder for criminals to steal data . Rebooting a phone is a quick and easy way to make it more difficult for these criminals to make you their next victim .
Android : Go to Settings > Applications > Application Manager > look for Facebook ( or any other app ) > Permissions > turn off the mic .
26 DITCHMEN • MARCH 2022