This tax season we experienced a significant increase in phishing e-mails and fraudulent phone calls regarding taxes. I have spoken with a number of my peers who also experienced an increased level of security attacks. I personally received a phishing e-mail or fraudulent telephone call almost every week during the filing season. This is a trend that is not going to go away. We can expect a continual increase in such attacks.
We need to take every precaution to safeguard our data. Shred your financial related trash, password protect your cell phone and maintain strong virus protection software on all computers. The bad guys are constantly trying new tricks. We must educate ourselves to keep up. I hope to find a good online course on cyber security this summer.