SigMT

H ME Protecting Your Digital Home from Cybercrime By Ellie Stone, BPT The Smart SiG MT 31 As the pace of technology advances, cybersecurity threats do, too. Data breaches, identity the, phishing and malware make headlines seemingly every day. Internet-connected devices, social media, digital assistants and mobile apps have become indispensable in our everyday lives, but their connectedness makes us increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Recent reports estimate that damages relating to cybercrime are expected to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021. "It's impossible to predict when you will be affected by cybercrime," says Bashar Abouseido, chief information security officer for Charles Schwab Corp. "e best defense is to stay informed." It can be helpful to envision your computer and digital devices as a house where you store your personal data. October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so it's a good time to make sure your digital house is secure. e first step is to understand the ways cybercriminals may attempt to access your data. Types of cybercrimes Data breaches occur when there is unauthorized access to sensitive personal information. ese incidents oen make headline news and can affect large numbers of consumers. Malicious soware, also known as malware, spyware, ransomware and viruses, refers to soware programs designed with the purpose of gaining unauthorized access to a mobile app, digital device or computer. Phishing is one of the most common forms of online fraud and cybercrime. Cybercriminals try to lure you with a fake email sent from what they have designed to appear to be a trusted source or contact that encourages you to click a link or open an attachment in order to extract personal account information.

• Cover