Protecting Your Accounts Online

From Your Friends at Integrity Computer Consulting and Repair

To help safeguard your card data and personal information on sites that require a login, we recommend: 

1. Make sure your password is secure even if the site you're logging into does not require it.  We recommend using a combination of upper and lower case letters, with numbers AND special characters and not using any recognizable words.  For example, a password of "Ilovedogs" can be made more secure by changing all the vowels to look-alike numbers and special characters, breaking up the actual words into something more secure: !L0v3d0Gs. 
2. Use two-step authentication if it is available.
3. Get into a habit of changing your password on a schedule (especially if it is a site that houses financial information or credit card numbers), even though it is a pain, we recommend changing passwords every 30 days.  Write down your passwords and keep them in a safe place.
4. Do not use the same password for every site. Make each password different (even if it is off by one or two characters) and keep a record of it.
5. Use the least amount of personal details possible when setting up an online account. 
6. OPT OUT OF SAVING CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD INFORMATION on websites.

Most commonly, data and account breaches happen to individuals and at companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. 

To help safeguard important information stored on your computer we recommend:

1. HAVE A WORKING BACKUP.
2. Do not open emails from unknown senders.
3. Do not open attachments from unknown senders.
4. Do not open attachments you are not expecting from KNOWN senders. 
5. For suspected spam from people you know, simply email the sender back or call and verify that they meant to send you the attachment in question.
6. Do not click on malicious pop-ups advertising virus/malware removal by calling a support agent.
7. Do not call the numbers listed on malicious pop-ups (see below for examples of these pop-ups).
8. Follow your intuition. If something doesn't add up, seems too good to be true, weird, outrageous, or out the ordinary, do not click!

Coronavirus – Hygiene and Action Reminder

1. Wash your hands before and after using your own or any community computer.
2. Regularly sanitize your own phones and computers, especially if used by multiple people.
3. Once a week (or once a day), turn your computer off and using an alcohol swab (preferred) or Lysol wipe, thoroughly wipe down your keyboard and mouse, and really any common surface that's touched.  Make sure to get in between the keys and the scroll wheel on the mouse.  If you have a touchscreen, make sure to wipe the screen.  If you have a laptop, wipe the entire case, open and closed.  Be careful of using Lysol wipes around speakers and ports to avoid excessive moisture buildup.
4. For phones, do the same, but be careful of using Lysol wipes around speakers and input jacks/ports to avoid excessive moisture buildup.
5. If using Lysol or Clorox wipes, make sure to read the label and keep the surface wet for the amount of time specified by the manufacturer.

If you have any questions about updates, pop-ups, emails, or need a clean-up, this can be done remotely.  Please contact our office via phone 208.288.4345 or email info@integrityidaho.com if you need immediate assistance.