10 tips from the IL Comptroller for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is offering tips to help Illinoisans protect themselves from internet fraud and identity theft.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Mendoza’s office is giving tips to help consumers safeguard their identifiable information. She said she is no stranger to protecting information with the sheer influx of financial information her office handles.

“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. One simple click can trigger a malicious attack. Don’t click on links or attachments in texts or emails from senders you don’t recognize. Con artists often use email addresses that are very similar to retailers or other businesses.
• Everyone can be a target for phishing. No one is fully safe from cons trying to get people to divulge their personal information, no matter your wealth, address, age or appearance.
• Immediate action is important if you suspect one of your accounts is compromised. If you believe you are hacked or your identity is stolen, change the account password right away, check your bank and credit cards accounts for unusual activity and 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.
• Don’t share credentials or passwords. Also, avoid allowing outside sources remote access to your computer.
• Never give out personal information. Do not provide personal information to a company unless you initiated the contact.
• Credit cards are more often secure forms of payment, versus using debit cards. Federal law limits consumer liabilities when using a credit card, so customers have stronger fraud protection and a better chance of getting your money back if it gets lost or stolen. 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. Inputting your card’s numbers each time is a pain, 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) on your web browser or with an online retailer.
• Guard your personal information at work. Lock your computer if you need to step away, and don’t leave confidential documents or other items on your desk at the end of the day and Also do not leave passwords written on note near your computer.
• Use a unique password. Come up with something unique and would be known by you and only you. Avoid passwords that someone could easily figure out, such as your street, pet or child’s name. Using A secure password manager app and multi-factor authentication can further protect yourself from fraud.
• Package delivery messages are often scams. These include random text messages and emails for delivery updates, but the links will often lead to websites with viruses to infect personal devices. Instead, officials recommend visiting the shipper’s website directly.

Mendoza said hackers often change tactics to extract personal data, so it’s important to keep an eye out and don’t click on anything sketchy.

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