Comptroller Susana Mendoza recognizes Cybersecurity Awareness Month with tips to help consumers protect themselves from fraud and identity theft.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Comptroller Mendoza is offering some important advice for safeguarding personal information.

“My office sends out about 11,000 checks a day, so cybersecurity is vital to our daily operations,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “And just like government agencies and business must fight off hackers and fraudsters, so must the general public.”

The Illinois Office of Comptroller’s cybersecurity tips include:

  • Think before you click. Sometimes all it takes is a simple click and the malicious attack is started. Don’t click on any links or attachments in texts or emails from senders you don’t recognize. Con artists often use email addresses that closely resemble one from a retailer or other familiar business.
  • Don’t assume you’re not a target for being phished. Everyone is a potential target for cons trying to get people to divulge their personal information (phishing) -- whether you’re rich or poor, old or young, where you live or what you look like.
  • Take immediate action if you suspect one of your accounts is hacked or your identity is stolen. Change the account password right away, check your bank and credit cards accounts for unusual activity and you can also freeze your credit with the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) so that no one can take out a loan or open a line of credit in your name.
  • Stick to your own devices. Never share your credentials or passwords. Never give remote access to your computer to an outside source.
  • Never give personal information. Do not provide personal information to a company unless you initiated the contact.
  • Use secure forms of payment. Federal law limits consumer liabilities when using a credit card compared to debit cards. That means you have stronger fraud protection and a better chance of getting your money back if you lose your credit card or it’s stolen, or if someone gets ahold of your credit card number. It’s also easier to trace credit card transactions online.
  • Don’t store credit card numbers online. It’s a pain to have to input your numbers each time, but it will lessen the chances of fraud. At the very least, don’t store your CVV (the three numbers on the back of your card) with a web browser or online retailer.
  • Be aware of your surroundings at work. Lock your computer if you need to step away from your desk. Never leave confidential items on your desk at the end of the day and don’t leave your password written on a post-it note nearby.
  • Use a unique password. Come up with something unique and would be known by you and only you, not something anybody could guess. Avoid passwords that someone could easily figure out, such as your street, pet or child’s name. Consider using a password manager app and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to further protect yourself from fraud.
  • Be wary of package delivery messages. This may include random text messages and emails that alert you of delivery updates. Scammers will include a link in those messages that will most likely infect your device. Instead, visit the shipper’s website to verify any changes to your order.

“Please take a moment to review these suggestions and be on the lookout for anything that seems sketchy. Hackers and other cyber-scammers are constantly changing their tactics to get a person’s personal data, so it’s important to remain vigilant,” said Comptroller Mendoza.

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