Data and Document Security; Protect Your Stuff!

There are now more tools available than ever to help you organize, access and protect your sensitive data and documents.
man-1187170_1280Well that’s a scary image …

Mobile Devices
The amount of information we store on our mobile devices is staggering: emails, personal contacts, client contacts, banking information, music, and pictures represent only a fraction. You can easily protect this data by enabling the password service, or, in the case of the newer iPhones and iPads, by enabling the fingerprint recognition software.

We have become heavily dependent on these devices that, if we lose them or they malfunction, we could spend days trying restore or replace the data on the device. To protect against this potential headache, you should back up the device regularly. You can also shift more application content to cloud services such as iCloud or G Cloud.

Computer Safety
If you know the sickening feeling of losing an important file that you saved on our computer, then you know you do not want to risk losing all the data on your laptop. That’s why we recommend backing up your important files to an external hard drive, remote server, cloud storage or online back-up program. Some of you may want to make the backup occur automatically, so that all files are stored on a regular basis. Others may prefer to do so manually. If so, be sure to set a reminder that works for you so that you frequently safeguard as much of your important data as possible.

In addition to backing up your files regularly to an external location, we recommend you install anti-virus and malware software. When you buy a computer, an anti-virus program is often included. Make sure the virus definitions are updated constantly. Also, you can add more projection for free, such as Malwarebytes.

Original Documents
There are certain documents that deserve an extra level of security, like original copies of your estate plan (link to planning) for the inevitable. For these documents that hold significant legal and personal importance, place them in Ziplock bags to prevent water damage and store them in either a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box.

Conclusion
Taking these small steps each of you can take now to protect your tax and financial information will prove invaluable if the unexpected occurs.

Scam update for more on Cyber-Attackers, Cloud Computing – be Vigilant!

We wrote before about the need for vigilance to protect you from cybercriminals. We drew on input from Norton Antivirus about social media scams. In this post, we draw upon the Kiplinger’s Tax Letter and SingleHop.com site.

IRS e-mails – You might not think that tax preparers would fall for e-mail scams, but some do. The 2-27-15 Kiplinger’s Tax Letter describes use of bogus e-mails asking professionals to “update their IRS e-services accounts and their electronic filing ID numbers plus provide personal data.” As we have said in prior posts, the IRS categorically states that they do not send out e-mails.

Cloud Computing – SingleHop is a company endeavoring to be private cloud experts. They champion users holding cloud servers accountable for maintaining high level, monitored and updated security for all client files. Their recent newsletter notes that over 250,000 complaints were filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) in 2013 alone, of which over 20% were under age 30. (For more on how “private cloud” computing fits in the internet infrastructure, here is a helpful SingleHop page: [[https://www.singlehop.com/private-cloud-hosting/|SingleHop site]])

They caution you not to rely on links from e-mails to the websites you frequent. Instead, they encourage you to create bookmarks for these websites to ensure that you are logging onto the site you intend. They also favor sites that use two levels to authenticate you before granting access to personal information. “With such methods, after logging in with your password, the site will text or email you a single-use code that must be entered. Only the registered phone number or email address will receive the code, making it that much harder for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your accounts.”

Scam Update – With the cautions from both sources in mind, we updated our post, to help you remain vigilant:

//Hidden URLs// – Those shortened URLs are convenient, but they may be links to websites you don’t want to visit, or worse, they could install malware on your computer. SingleHop admonishes, “Especially look out for slightly misspelled words or words that use unexpected characters, such as substituting a “0” (number) for a “0” (letter) — for example, HOME DEPOT. If something looks even a little bit fishy, delete the email or close the site immediately.”

//Phishing Requests// – When you get an invitation to click on any link, think twice. When you click, you may be taken to a fake Twitter or Facebook or to a bank, credit card issuer, or another financial institution login page. SingleHop says “Phishers will design their sites to look exactly like the website of your” institutions. If you fall for the fake website, and enter you username and password, the cybercriminals can use your information on the real website to gain complete control of your account.

//Hidden Charges// – Be wary of those online quizzes that offer to tell you interesting information about yourself like which 1960s sitcom star you resemble. If the quiz asks you for personal information, such as your phone number, stop. If you continue, you many end up subscribing to some service that charges a recurring monthly fee.

//Cash Grabs// – It’s great to make new friends, but maybe not by “friending” strangers on Facebook. That person you just friended on Facebook may soon be asking you for money. You can avoid this situation by limiting your social media connections to people you know personally. Ignore friend requests when you do not know the person and have no friends in common.

//Chain Letters// – Sure, you want to be sure that Microsoft will donate the millions it promised to some worthy charity if you keep the online chain letter going. However, such “chain letter” e-mails are a way for spammers to access your friends to connect with them later. Also, you never know to whom your friends will forward the letter.

Sites that are popular with users are popular with criminals, so remain vigilant when you are on line, and, of course, keep your antivirus and anti-malware software up to date. Be wary and think twice before clicking on a suspicious link!