5 Ways to Stay Ahead of Cybercrime

Phishing emails—deceptive emails that seem to come from a trusted source—can also appear surprisingly realistic. For example: An email says it’s from your friend Deborah, so you innocently open the file she sent, only to unleash a virus that has now infected your computer.

What happens next? In many cases, you would have to hire an outside expert to reformat your hard drive, reinstall the operating system and software, and restore data from the backup. Then, there’s the matter of any personal information that might have been stolen and how it might be used. The fallout could be significant and recovery can cost you both valuable time and money.

Five easy ways to be cyber smart:

1. Think before you click: Even if an email looks like it’s from a familiar sender, always beware of attachments. Don’t reply to the email either. The sender’s email might have been compromised. Instead, verify with the sender in a separate email that they included an attachment and what it is before opening it.

2. Verify any request for private info: It’s wise to always verify the identity of anyone requesting your private information, even if you think it’s safe. It’s also not a bad idea to regularly check your financial statements and credit reports.

3. Protect your passwords: The best kinds of passwords to create are long, strong, and unique. Use multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. Employ different passwords for different accounts. Don’t let websites or browser “remember” your passwords. Or, take the pressure off having to keep track of your numerous passwords and subscribe to a password manager like Keeper or NordPass, for example. 

4. Keep your devices, browsers, and apps up to date: To make software updates easier, select the setting that allows automatic updates whenever possible. Periodically, restart your devices to make sure updates are fully installed.

5. Back up your stuff: You never know when you’ll need a backup. Have an external hard drive in your home for your laptop or desktop. You can also back up important documents and data in the cloud by subscribing to a service like Carbonite.

If the worst happens, we've got you.

The information we share on our site is intended to serve as a general overview. Please refer to your policy or contact your local independent agent for specific coverage details.

Cyber Protection Coverage is available to members with a Mutual of Enumclaw Homeowners policy (except Non-Member's Best renters and secondary homes). $25,000 annual aggregate limit with a $500 per occurrence deductible.

Writing Company Information: This endorsement is available from Enumclaw Property & Casualty Insurance Company (EP&C) for eligible members with an EP&C Homeowners policy. It is available from Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Company for eligible members with a Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Company Homeowners policy. See your agent for more information or contact our Member Services team.