TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – October is dedicated to raising awareness of cybersecurity, but the Better Business Bureau says it should be a year-round effort to avoid scams you may find online.
“Now, it’s something that really everybody needs to be paying attention to,” said Josh Planos, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau.
Planos tells 13 NEWS that anyone can be a victim.
“Nobody is too small to be a target because there’s a misconception that you have loads of money or a huge workforce for this to be an area of concern,” he said.
It’s why Planos is urging users to be proactive while on the web. Changing passwords often and enabling two-factor authentication are just a few steps that can make a difference.
“It’s seen as almost an impediment, but I can tell you that people who experienced identity theft or their business account being compromised, we’ll tell you that they would much rather spend that time on the front end, rather than playing clean-up duty on the back end,” Planos said.
The bureau says advancements in AI also pose concerns for online data to become compromised.
“I would say that we would not be having the conversation we’re having at the level we are right now three years ago. A lot of folks do not think through who they’re handing their data to, and if you’re on a free account with an AI model, you’re absolutely handing your data off to that company in order for them to train that model,” Planos said.
Giving your devices a deep clean and keeping them up-to-date are also tips from the bureau to help keep your personal information out of the hands of online criminals.
“Make sure that you’re doing what you can to ensure your information is not being collected by somebody else and then going to be ultimately used against you, which, unfortunately, is what a lot of folks experience–not just this time of the year, but year-round,” Planos said.
If you believe you are a victim of a cyber-attack, the bureau has resources available to help you report the online scam. You can find more information here.
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