Julia K Cole

Recent hacks involving several high-profile social networking accounts once again highlight the potential  vulnerability of social media. The sheer volume of users and the information that gets posted on social media  sites create plenty of opportunity for an attacker to use social engineering or other methods to gain access to  the accounts of individuals and organizations. The more information you post, the more your security and  privacy are at risk.  What Precautions Should I Take on Social Networking Sites?  Below are some helpful tips regarding security and privacy while using social networking sites:   Ensure that any computer you use to connect to a social media site has proper security measures in  place. Use and maintain anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall and keep these  applications and operating system patched and up-to-date.   Be cautious when clicking on links. If a link seems suspicious, o...

In this digital age, we rely on our computers and devices for so many aspects of our lives that the need to be  proactive and vigilant to protect against cyber threats has never been greater. However, in order to be as secure as  possible, we need to use good cyber hygiene – that is, making sure we are protecting and maintaining systems  and devices appropriately and using cyber security best practices. Many key best practices are outlined in the Top 20 Critical Security Controls, managed by the Council on  CyberSecurity. These Controls assist in mitigating the most prevalent vulnerabilities that often result in many of  today's cyber security intrusions and incidents. The Center for Internet Security (CIS) provides free, PDF-formatted  configuration guides (Benchmarks) that can be used to implement the Controls and improve cyber security. Secure Your Wireless Network  Before the days of wireless (Wi-Fi) home networks, it was rather easy to see wh...