This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

FEMA Update - Cyber Concerns

Before you fall for a scam

Robert Riechel's profile picture
Robert Riechel, NeighborVerified User Badge
|

Article Source: FEMA

Cyber Monday Shopping Tips - Keep Your Information Secure

Learn how to protect yourself from cybercriminals and stay safe while shopping online on Cyber Monday (November 27) and throughout the holiday shopping season.

Shopping online erases the hassles of traffic and crowds. However, the internet may also bring online scams and identity thieves.

Keep your information secure. Review security tips from the Do business with reputable vendors – Some attackers create websites that appear legitimate and may trick you. Verify the legitimacy before supplying any information. (See Understanding Web Site Certificates for more information.)

Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Make sure your information is being encrypted – Many sites use secure sockets layer (SSL) to encrypt information. Indications that your information will be encrypted include a URL that begins with "HTTPS:" instead of "HTTP:" and a padlock icon. If the padlock is closed, the information is encrypted. Some attackers try to trick users by adding a fake padlock icon, so make sure that the icon is in the address bar of your browser.
  • Be wary of emails requesting information – Attackers may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information. (See Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks.) Legitimate businesses will not ask for this type of information through email. Do not provide sensitive information through email. If you receive an unsolicited email from a business, instead of clicking on the provided link, you should directly log on to the authentic website by typing the address yourself. (See Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams.)
  • Use a credit card – There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges. You may not have the same level of protection for your debit cards. Also, use a credit card when using a payment gateway such as PayPal, Google Wallet, or Apple Pay.

    • Find additional shopping or basic online safety tips with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.

    Is Your Home Heating Safe?

    Do not wait for winter. Test your home heating equipment now.

    According to the follow these USFA tips for a fire-safe home this winter.

    Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

    • Keep anything that can burn at least three (3) feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters, or candles.
    • Never use an oven to heat your home.
    • Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.

    For more information, visit the USFA’s Heating Fire Safety page.

    Coming Soon: New CERT and Citizen Corps Website

    Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and Citizen Corps Councils are getting a new and improved registration and management website, which will allow users a more intuitive and robust tool to manage their programs. While these enhancements occur, the current website will be down starting December 1st.The new and improved site will still include features like:

    • Registering and updating Citizen Corps and CERT programs from one place;
    • Collecting information about surveys and programs to enable better tracking of your work; and
    • Searching for local preparedness programs.

    The site will also include some new features to make preparing your community even easier. You can look forward to accessing the site later in December. In the meantime, you can continue helping your community get ready for disaster by visiting the

    =

    Robert Riechel

    E=Mail: SanBrunoPatch.Robert@Yahoo.com

    WEB: http://SanBrunoPatch.com

    My Posts: http://patch.com/users/robert-riechel

    Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives

    Source Credit: FEMA

    CLICK on link below to Subscribe to News Alerts and a Daily Email Newsletter for San Bruno Patch

    http://link.patch.com/join/3-0-subscribe?list=US_CA_SANBRUNO_282

    #SanBrunoPatch

    The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

    More from San Bruno