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Five tips to help protect customers and small businesses from cyberthreats

Lets be honest. Cybersecurity can make your head spin. With words like malware, phishing, spoofing, and encryption, learning to protect yourself can feel like a college-level course. But it doesnt have to be that complicated. By following five simple steps, you can start to protect your network, devices and data from an ever-growing list of digital threats.

1. Understand that cyberattacks are real.

When it comes to cybersecurity, many people have an it wont happen to me attitude. (Thats why they still use the same password for every site, despite expert recommendations to avoid doing so.) However, the reality is that cyberattacks are only growing in number year-over-year.

For example, one of the first hacks was documented in 1963 and today, nearly 60 years later, hackers are attacking phones and computers every 39 seconds.

Small businesses are especially susceptible to these threats. Forty three percent of all data breaches are geared toward small and medium sized businesses, simply because hackers know many do not have the knowledge or funding to protect themselves.

2.Be proactive.

With cyberthreats on the rise every day, theres no need to sit back and wait for an attack to happen. Monitor your accounts on a daily basis so that you are the first to know if suspicious activity is occurring. If you dont have time to sit around and watch your accounts, dont worry. The AT&T ActiveArmor advanced mobile security app offers Identity Monitoring, which alerts you if your personal information is leaked*, and provides tips to help resolve the issue.

Small businesses may also benefit from Breach Reports on the ActiveArmor mobile security app. For no additional cost, owners can stay up-to-date with suppliers and other businesses that may have experienced a data breach.

3.Be wary of the unknown.

While phones were once used for making and receiving calls, todays devices are much more advanced. From mobile banking to surfing the web, streaming videos to storing business documents, our phones have become a centralized location for sensitive information. Hackers know this, so they are increasingly targeting mobile devices. In fact, mobile devices now account for more than 60 percent of digital fraud.

So, what can you do? AT&T already blocks 10 million fraud calls per day, but with the ActiveArmor mobile security app, Spam Risk call blocking is an option that is available at no extra cost. You can also consider the option to block calls from unknown numbers. The app will block or send the caller straight to voicemail, ultimately making it easier for you to avoid phone scams.

4.Be alert, even when youre inside your home.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency reports that 47 percent of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cyber criminals. So, whether youre running your small business from home or shopping at your favorite online stores, cyberattacks can happen anywhere.

Thats why AT&T ActiveArmor internet security blocks around 13 million threats each day, working hard in the background so customers dont have to. With built-in technologies such as Malicious Site Blocking, Device Monitoring and more, everything from your smart refrigerators, alarms, and baby monitors will be covered.

For added security, you may also find it useful to have AT&T ActiveArmor advanced internet security. This upgraded option includes a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that can further secure your sensitive information, ID Monitoring to alert you of any data leaks, and Advanced Content Controls to manage kids media consumption.

Similarly, when youre on the go, the ActiveArmor mobile security app secures 30,000 at risk Wi-Fi connections per day, ultimately helping to ensure that you can browse, shop, and socialize without fear of interference from the bad guys.

5.Protect your passwords!

We all know its necessary, but not all of us take steps to do it. Seventy two percent of people admit to using the same password across multiple logins and only ever take action when they receive alerts of suspicious activity. Millennials are especially trusting, with 31 percent saying they share their passwords with others.

It seems like such a simple action but using a strong password that differs from site-to-site will help decrease your chances of being hacked by cybercriminals. If you struggle to keep your passwords in order, dont stress. AT&T ActiveArmor comes with Weak Password Detection and Password Checks to help keep your passwords in order.

You see, cybersecurity might seem complicated, but there are simple steps you can take that make the effort worth it. For more tips and cybersecurity information, check out att.com/cyberaware.

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AT&T Tips: 5 Ways to Guard Against Cyberthreats - AT&T Newsroom