Cyber criminals are getting increasingly sophisticated. This year alone, cyber criminals shut down key infrastructure in the US, crippled Newfoundland’s health care system, and stole millions of customers’ personal information from a major US telecom.

Even within our Board area, cyber criminals were able to hack members’ email addresses, log into their lockbox accounts, and gain access to homes listed for sale.

A cyber security breach can not only be a headache to deal with, but it can cost you thousands of dollars and negatively impact your reputation.

To help you keep your accounts as secure as possible, here are four cyber security best practices.

Your password is your first line of defense against hackers. Never share your login credentials.

Always use a unique, complex password that includes numbers, letters, and special symbols for each account you have. To keep track of these passwords, use a secure password manager like 1Password, Google Passwords, or LastPass. If the service offers multi-factor authentication, enable it.

Your phone is a prime target for hackers, containing a wealth of personal information. While companies like Apple and Google are working hard to keep their devices secure, hackers have uploaded malicious software to official app stores. This is particularly important for Android users – the Google Play Store has leaner security checks and more malicious software.

With that in mind, always be suspicious of free apps and ensure that they can only access what you allow. Nothing is free these days!

Never unlock your phone’s bootloader or jailbreak it to sideload apps. Never trust app links, or app update links, sent via text messages, and avoid using QR codes.

Software companies strive to improve the security of their products. Staying one step ahead of hackers can be difficult, but keeping your apps and operating system (i.e., Windows, MacOS, iOS, or Android) up to date will help close security gaps and deter malicious actors.

Cyber criminals use social manipulation to access your system. They’ll impersonate colleagues, clients, and more to manipulate you into providing personal information or installing malicious software.

The best defence against these attacks is to become a human firewall. This means you’ll need to be vigilant with all incoming communications. Avoid clicking strange links or providing personal information when prompted. If you receive a message from someone you’re not expecting, confirm the details with the contact directly by phone or through a link you know or can Google.

For example, if you receive an email from a shipping company telling you your package will be returned to sender, don’t click any links in the email. Instead, navigate to the company’s website and enter the tracking number to see any details.