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Unfortunately, data breaches have become all too common in today’s society.

It feels like two or three times a day, there is a report in the media about a company admitting its data was breached and customer information, including passwords, was stolen.

Even large firms or companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Target have admitted to breaches.

The truth is, no organization is immune from these attacks.

What most people need to be told is that you need to protect yourself not only by paying attention, but by carefully managing your various passwords.

We all get emails from UPS, Walmart, Costco and other big retailers, airlines or travel resorts, but are they real?

Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to get your information, steal money or steal your identity. They will create emails that look like they are from your bank, the IRS, a store you shop at, coworkers, relatives, or friends.

These emails will contain links they want you to click so you can enter your information. Unfortunately, once you do that, the damage is done.

Ohioans should be on the lookout for signs of identity theft as they begin to receive their tax documents in the mail.

 

There's a threat called Phishing and it can put your entire organization at risk. Phishing, a technique malefactors use to steal sensitive information such as user names and passwords, is a growing segment of crime.

Phishing typically involves the use of an authentic-looking email or website that prompts you to enter sensitive data that can be used to hack or hijack your business's systems. Phishing techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated and more difficult to spot and prevent.

Hackers and scammers are back at it again … and they’re better than ever. Recently we’ve seen a big upswing in the number, and relative sophistication, of hacker and scammer attacks. They’re sending sophisticated emails and “snail mail” invoicing to target unwitting individuals and companies.

Every year around this time, the IRS issues a warning about scams that attempt to victimize taxpayers and steal from them. More often than not, the victims of these crimes are senior citizens. The scams have varying levels of sophistication. From simple - such as calling on the phone and posing as an IRS agent - to sophisticated phishing scams that attempt to get taxpayers to reveal information that can be used to hack key user accounts.

If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last month several high profile companies were hacked and individuals’ personal information was compromised. The sites included health insurance providers, job searching sites, restaurant chains, a fitness and diet tracking website and even online photo storage sites. The numbers of people potentially involved in these breaches are staggering.

T'is the season! Tax season that is. It’s also identity theft season. Last year over 100,000 people discovered that their identity had been stolen when they attempted to file their taxes. While the IRS and other tax jurisdictions have worked diligently to reduce the number of fraudulent filings, there is still a lot that you can do to protect yourself from identity theft.

If you’ve traveled you know how unproductive travel time can feel sitting and waiting for your plane. So, you figure you’ll just hop on the airport’s Wi-Fi and check your email or send out a proposal. NOT SO FAST!