Alerts

Have you thought about using a Password Manager?

certmanager — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:45:30 +0000

Have you thought about using a Password Manager? certmanager Wed, 09/13/2023 - 20:45

An average user may have about seven passwords. This includes passwords for your social media handles, personal e-mail, maybe internet banking and PINs for your mobile money, ATM! This can get more complex if you also have office e-mail where you most likely have to frequently change your password! More often its easy to forget all these different passwords. Because of this, most users will most likely use the same password and same PIN across all platforms. The risk is that if one is compromised, then you will have failed to protect access to your accounts.

The best practice is to use a different not easy to guess password. The best way to safely protect these passwords is to use a Password Manager. A good password manager will enable you store all your passwords and PINs in one secure account that you access with a strong master password. So all you have to remember is one strong master password!

We encourage you to dig deeper to get more details on how to use a secure password manager. Here below are a few (in no particular order) that you may check out and explore:

Dashlane
Bitwarden
KeePass
Keeper
Norton Password Manager

Alerts

Beyond relying on a password alone

certmanager — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:42:05 +0000

Beyond relying on a password alone certmanager Wed, 09/13/2023 - 20:42

Most users are using easy to guess passwords. Complicating this further is using the same password across all your online accounts. This could be for your personal e-mail, social media and other online accounts. This increases the risk for a talented hacker to crack your password! We recommend you change and start using a password structure that makes it harder for a malicious user to crack or guess. You can do this by ensuring your password is at least twelve characters long with a mix of upper-case letters, symbols, numbers and lower-case letters.

Relying on the password alone still leaves room for exploitation due to human error. This is why you need to take it a notch higher and add an extra layer of security by using an authenticator app. This adds an extra layer for use verification by generating a onetime based number code for you to use every time you log onto your account. Authenticator apps are free to use and they work. All you have to do is choose your authenticator app, download to your device, follow the easy to setup instructions and you are good to go!

Some of the authenticator apps you can choose from (in no particular order) are:

Aegis Authenticator
Google Authenticator
Microsoft Authenticator
Duo Mobile
Authy

Alerts

Are you securely changing Phones?

certmanager — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:34:58 +0000

Are you securely changing Phones? certmanager Wed, 09/13/2023 - 20:34

You could be changing your phone for various reasons. These reasons may include getting a newer phone, replacing a lost or stolen phone. Could you be unknowingly giving away your data on your old phone? Here are the top tips to avoid this from happening to you:

Perform a Factory Reset to remove all files and data from your phone or tab. You can do a search online on how to do this for your particular phone model.
Remove your external storage media if your phone supports this functionality. These could be in the form of SD, mini or micro-SD cards. Remove these, back the files and destroy the cards if you are not going to use them in your new phone.

Alerts

NITA-U issues 7 security tips

lutalo — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:21:32 +0000

NITA-U issues 7 security tips lutalo Wed, 04/27/2022 - 17:21

NITA-U issues 7 security tips for online shopping:

Verify that website is legitimate: Use trusted sites when shopping online such as those most commonly used. In case you would like to use an unfamiliar website, be sure to carry out a web search (google will do) to find out sentiments and reviews from other users. Shady websites will most definitely have bad user reviews. Carrying out this verification will save you from any malicious activity.
Find out about the website’s consumer rights: When buying online, it's good practice to find out the basic rights offered to the consumer. At the minimum, this should include procedures for making returns (in case you need to return a product that is faulty or damaged), handling complaints, transaction charges, product price, and information on delivery timelines for the products being purchased.
Double-check the website’s security: The basic visible security feature to look out for is the ‘s’ within the address of the website. For example, it should read https:// with a padlock sign. This means that the log-in information you enter into the website has been secured against any unauthorized snooping. Browsers such as google chrome will label websites without that protection as ‘not secure’ so that users are warned.
Do not get cheated: Sometimes, cybercriminals create fraudulent or ‘fake’ websites that mimic legitimate websites in order to harvest consumer credentials and financial information. The most common trick used is to misspell a website name for example ‘jumia’ might get written as ‘jum1a’ thereby replacing i with 1. Always remember to double-check the name of the website you are accessing to confirm correct spelling within the address bar.
Avoid the temptation to save your information within the browser: Whereas it might seem convenient, try and avoid saving your sensitive information within the browser for ‘auto fill’ purposes. This information may be the target of cybercriminals. Be cautious when a browser prompt appears asking you to save sensitive information.
Mobile Apps: only down mobile apps from the google play store if you are using an android phone or Apple App Store for iOS.
Monitor your bank account transactions: Lastly, keep monitoring your bank account transaction history so that you are able to identify any charges that you did not authorize. This will help you put a stop to losing any other money from any fraudulent activity. You can also use this information to contact your bank for remedial guidance.

Alerts

Protect your social media account

lutalo — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 15:06:27 +0000

Protect your social media account lutalo Wed, 04/27/2022 - 17:06

Don’t get hacked! Social media is increasingly becoming the main channel for ‘social communication.’ Businesses use it for marketing new products, services, and engaging clients. Likewise, internet users use social media to keep up with the latest trends, news and share experiences. Over time, whatever social media platform you use, grows into a personal possession, as it is a reflection of your likes and what you associate with.

More than often, the first activity you do before you sleep and first when you wake is to check your social media! Some of the most used social media platforms include Instagram and Twitter. This piece of digital space is increasingly becoming a target for hackers. The main trick used by hackers is to send you a seemingly convincingly correct message that includes a malicious link. The messages are targeted and are aimed to cause panic or get you to act quickly by clicking on a malicious link. Unknowingly, clicking the link will assist a hacker to obtain further information such as your password. With a stolen password, a hacker can then take over your account, change your e-mail. A victim will be locked out of their account and will then be asked for payment (sometimes in cryptocurrency such as bitcoin) in order to regain access.

The two best tips to protect your social media account are:

Use a strong password for your account. Try using a passphrase that is at least 12 characters.
Enable two-factor authentication for your account to increase the level of protection for your account. Here are quick links:

Twitter - https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/two-factor-authentication
Instagram - https://help.instagram.com/566810106808145
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/544/turn-two-step-verification-on-and-off?lang=en Go ahead; turn on two-factor authentication now! #BeSafeOnline

Alerts