Feeling pretty discouraged? That’s understandable. Try to not feel too beaten down, though.
“Cybercriminals rely on convenience to exploit victims, but you have the power to protect yourself,” O’Leary said. “You are not at fault for cybercrime, but being proactive can help keep your accounts secure and prevent unnecessary stress.”
Ahead, experts shared their best tips:
First and foremost, stop saving your card information to your device.
Your simplest and perhaps best option is to not click the “save” button. You can still buy things from your phone or laptop, but type in your card information each time.
“When you type your card details, the stopwatch on risk starts and stops with the transaction,” Ramzan said. “But if you save that information in your browser, the stopwatch is always running.”
Save your information in a more secure way.
Rather than saving the information in your browser, Ramzan recommended a dedicated password manager that encrypts the details in a secure vault.
He added that banks often offer virtual or tokenized card numbers, too. They can be easily disabled if they’re compromised, which protects your main account.
Another option is saving the information on Apple Wallet. “The Apple Wallet stores information locally on your iPhone, iPad or watch with strong encryption,” said James Maxwell, chief information security officer at ABOC. “Google [Wallet] does the same thing, but it also stores more information on its cloud, making your data more susceptible to attack.”
But again, if your phone is lost or gets stolen… well, you may be SOL.
Enable two-factor authentication.
Also known as 2FA, this is when a system requires two forms of identification. For example, after entering your password, the system may send a code to your phone that you then have to type in.
O’Leary suggested enabling this wherever your financial information is stored. Usually, programs that have this option will offer it after you enter the info.
Monitor your bank statements.
As O’Leary mentioned above, some people don’t realize their credit card information has been stolen until they see suspect charges on their bank accounts. Make sure you monitor yours regularly — ideally online, since you can do it more often than with a mailed copy. This way, she said, you can catch suspicious transactions early and get ahead of the problem before it worsens.
Install reputable anti-virus software.
This can detect and block malware before it compromises your system, Ramzan explained. A couple of companies that offer this are McAfee and Norton.
As a side note, Ramzan encourages always updating your browser and phone. “Many attacks exploit vulnerabilities that could have been patched with a simple update,” he said.
Be careful when downloading and clicking.
To ensure that software isn’t needed — and to be extra safe — Ramzan recommends being cautious when downloading files and clicking links from unknown sources.
This particularly goes with “pop-ups offering urgent system updates, fixes to supposed problems on your system or free software, which are common ruses that attackers use to compromise your system,” he said.
The real key, he added, is securing your device. “Otherwise, it’s like building a fortress on quicksand — no matter how strong the walls are, the foundation will still bring everything down.”
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