The hackers are at it again! In the last few days, several huge sites have been infiltrated and data including usernames and passwords have been compromised. The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Twitter have all fallen victim to Cyber Crime. Hackers have also been responsible for attacking several large banking institutions in the US, including US Bank, Wells Fargo and Bank Of America. Even the State Of California website has experienced this intrusion! Most of us do not have their own Cyber Security Teams working 24/7, but we can still be diligent
and guard against the likelihood of this happening! Here are a few things that you can do that will
help you stay safe and secure online:

* Use a strong Password, and change it monthly! Common sense dictates that you not use your
name or that of a family member! Keep in mind this includes the names of your pets at home.
Make it very unusual by using at least one number, capital letter, and a character or two.
Avoid using anything in sequence, such as 123456 or 555555. Make sure that you have a
different PW for each of the sites you have and use often. Do not use any words that are in the
Dictionary! Keep your passwords in a safe place such as a wallet, purse or a lockable drawer.
Be smart ! NEVER keep them on or around your computer! If you do not want to deal with password issues, simply Google "Password Manager", and find one that works for you.


* Avoid Identity Theft at all costs! When you are purchasing anything Online, only use your own
computer or laptop. Please Note! It is never a good idea to make a purchase from a publicly
used site such as the ones at Library, School or your workplace! It is way too easy for your
confidential account numbers and PW's to get there in Cyber Space! True Confessions! I had
the misfortune of being an Identity Theft victim several years ago and can tell you it is a real
"Pain In The #$$" and a total nuisance to correct. I have purchased Credit Monitoring and
love it! Twelve dollars a month is a very small price to pay for peace of mind:)

Have fun while working, surfing and gaming online!
Stay Safe:)

Sammi:)