Cyber Hygiene

Cyber hygiene is like other types of hygiene, defined as the practice of keeping things clean and in order to promote good health. Cyber hygiene, then, consists of the cybersecurity practices and processes individuals and organizations alike employ to maintain the health and wellness of their computer systems, networks and data and ward off infection and other threats.

Your personal information is more readily available online than ever before. And with the continued advancements in technology, cyber criminals have increased tools and abilities to launch sophisticated attacks that can fool even the experts. Worse, if a hacker quietly compromises your identity or accounts, they can do significant damage before you may even realize it’s happening.

The best defense is a good offense, and being proactive in establishing layers of protection and best practices is critical to maintaining good cyber hygiene. By creating complex defenses, you increase the likelihood of criminals moving on to an easier target. Below are some suggested practices for your cyber hygiene regimen:

• Create complex passwords. Use long, complex passwords or passphrases, change them often and set up multi-factor authentication whenever possible. This provides layers of security that can make it more difficult for hackers to gain access. Learn more about creating strong passwords.
• Be aware of scams. Threat actors often send unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Validate that the sender is who they say they are by checking their email address, profile or verifying the number on the company’s website. Visit our Get Smart on Scams page.
• When using social media, be vague. Avoid sharing important dates, contact information, full names or employer information. Personal details can be pulled from different sources and pieced together by cybercriminals to commit fraud. Follow more of these tips to avoid social engineering.
• Check your privacy settings. Update the privacy settings on your social media accounts so only known contacts can see what you post. Follow more of these tips to preserve your privacy and protect your digital identity.
• Don’t accept connections from strangers. Make sure you know who is following or adding you as a connection, both personally and professionally. Learn how to spot imposters.
• If something feels off, do your due diligence. If someone you don’t know sends you a message, make sure the person – or company they claim to work for - is legitimate. Examine the profile to see if you have any mutual connections and reach out to them to verify the account. Use this resource to verify PNC contact.
• Be careful with video and voice recordings. Personal details can be pulled from video clips. The more you share, the easier it is for someone to target you. Technological advancements have made it easier to create deepfakes – convincing, computer-generated imitations of a person’s image or voice, which can be used for extortion and other types of fraud. Learn how to detect deepfakes.
• Stop and think before posting. Ensure the platform you are posting to is legitimate. Also, consider the nature of the platform – don’t give out personal details on professional networking sites. Learn how fraudsters conduct website, email and vendor impersonation to commit crime.
• Report suspicious activity. If you receive any suspicious communications appearing to come from PNC, report them to abuse@pnc.com, and report phishing attempts to the social media platform or company and delete the message.