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banking and credit cards.

7) Make sure your emails are not being tracked. Tracking uses one or more images in an email
to geo-locate where the message is being viewed. Disabling images in your message previews
prevents this kind of tracking. Any messages you don't trust, delete them instead of allowing
them to download and display images that are part of the message.

8) If you don't have a public key, go to https://gnupg.org , download the software and create one
now. Aside from being able to send and receive securely encrypted emails, these can be used
to digitally sign your public messages to verify that these posts came from you.

9) Notify your business associates, friends and family of the fact that your information may have
been compromised in the data breach. Make sure they understand you might be digitally signing
your online communications.

10) Be vigilant, both with your online communications as well as phones.

There are other precautions that can be taken but most of them range from the obscure and
inconvenient to the extremely paranoid. For more no-nonsense cybersecurity tips for the
layman, check out Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse: Safer Computing Tips for Small
Business Managers and Everyday People.

About the Author

Max Nomad is an IT Consultant, Graphic Designer, creative entrepreneur
and computer security researcher with over 20 years of experience using
Internet technology to assist (and protect) small businesses. Having worked
with everything from stock brokerage firms to car dealership chains to
ostrich farmers, his diverse client history has given him experience with a
variety of large and small business needs. He also writes candid and
informative essays focusing on publishing, graphic design and the
underground side of cybercrime. He lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia and
can be reached at [email protected].

47 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – June 2015 Edition
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