Avoid Phishing Attacks

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What is "Phishing"?

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. They may

• say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts
• claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information
• say you must confirm some personal information
• include a fake invoice
• want you to click on a link to make a payment
• say you’re eligible to register for a government refund
• offer a coupon for free stuff

Four Steps to Protect Yourself From Phishing

1. Protect your computer by using security software. Set the software to update automatically so it can deal with any new security threats.
2. Protect your mobile phone by setting software to update automatically. These updates could give you critical protection against security threats.
3. Protect your accounts by using multi-factor authentication. Some accounts offer extra security by requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account. This is called multi-factor authentication. The additional credentials you need to log in to your account fall into two categories:

• Something you have — like a passcode you get via text message or an authentication app.
• Something you are — like a scan of your fingerprint, your retina, or your face.
• Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.

1. Protect your data by backing it up. Back up your data and make sure those backups aren’t connected to your home network. You can copy your computer files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Back up the data on your phone, too.