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5 ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams

Alternate format: 5 ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams (PDF, 148 KB)

COVID-19-related scams are on the rise. In some cases, cybercriminals are using the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or ads for protective gear to lure you into clicking links that could steal from you or lock your information.

Protect yourself by understanding how you could be targeted, and take some simple steps to shore up your defences. Here are five steps you can take right now on any device to protect yourself.

Visit www.cyber.gc.ca for more.

BE ON GUARD FOR SCAMS

You are an attractive target for cyber criminals.

Know how to spot phishing PhishingAn attempt by a third party to solicit confidential information from an individual, group, or organization by mimicking or spoofing a specific, usually well-known brand, usually for financial gain. Phishers attempt to trick users into disclosing personal data, such as credit card numbers, online banking credentials, and other sensitive information, which they may then use to commit fraudulent acts. and spear-phishing messages.

Be wary of suspicious links – don’t click on them. The Government of Canada will not text you about refunds or send you e-transfers. When in doubt, visit official government websites by entering the URLs in your browser. Visit the Canada Revenue Agency for more about common scams.

SECURE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL ACCOUNTS

Review all privacy and security settings on your social media and email accounts and activate as many protections as possible.

Choose security questions for which the answers are not known by many people. For example, instead of “What is the name of your pet,” choose “Who was your best friend in kindergarten?” Better yet, make up an answer that only you know. And never share that information on social media.

APPLY UPDATES TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICES, COMPUTERS, AND APPLICATIONS

Those updates are crucial to your security: they can contain what we call security “patches.” Don’t ignore them.

Be sure to apply updates to your mobile applications and your device operating systems and get them to automatically update.

STORE YOUR DATA SECURELY AND KNOW YOUR BACK-UP PROCEDURES

Use anti-virus VirusA computer program that can spread by making copies of itself. Computer viruses spread from one computer to another, usually without the knowledge of the user. Viruses can have harmful effects, ranging from displaying irritating messages to stealing data or giving other users control over the infected computer. or anti-malware MalwareMalicious software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system, without the owner's consent. Common forms of malware include computer viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, and adware. software on computers.

Back up your vital personal information and important files. You may want to use cloud services to do that. Be sure to review the ransomware RansomwareA type of malware that denies a user's access to a system or data until a sum of money is paid. protections offered by your cloud service provider and turn on the available security features.

Practice recovering your data at least once. This way, you’ll know what to do if you become a ransomware victim.

PRACTICE GOOD PASSWORD ETIQUETTE

Use unique passphrases or complex passwords, especially for sites that hold sensitive or personal information like your online banking or CRA accounts.

Don’t share passwords. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, websites, or devices.

Use two-factor authentication Two-factor authenticationA type of multi-factor authentication used to confirm the identity of a user. Authentication is validated by using a combination of two different factors including: something you know (e.g. a password), something you have (e.g. a physical token), or something you are (a biometric). (2FA) when available.

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