24 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARСH 5, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Secure your sensitive information online and at home
Th e New York State Department of
Taxation and Finance, the Offi ce of
Information Technology Services,
Department of Financial Services,
the Department of State’s Division of
Consumer Protection, and the Division
of Homeland Security and Emergency
Services encouraged New Yorkers to take
a proactive approach to ensure their private
information is secure online and at
home.
To keep personal information and data
safe, the New York State agencies are partnering
to share these tips:
Be wary of unsolicited emails and telephone
calls asking for personal information.
Never share personal information,
such as your Social Security number,
in response to an unsolicited email or telephone
call. If the email or call claims to be
from a company with which you do business,
call it fi rst to confi rm the contact is
legitimate.
Secure your mobile devices. Apply
soft ware updates that patch known vulnerabilities
as soon as they become available.
Use security features built into your
device such as a passcode and use programs
that encrypt data and remotely
wipe contents if the device is lost or stolen.
Be careful with Wi-Fi hotspots. Public
wireless hotspots are not secure, which
means that anyone could potentially see
what you are doing on your mobile device
while you are connected. Limit what you
do on public Wi-Fi and avoid logging into
sensitive accounts.
Know your apps. Th oroughly review
the details and specifi cations of an app
before you download it. Review and
understand the privacy policy of each
mobile app. Be aware that the app may
request access to your location and personal
information.
Be cautious about the information
you share on social media. Avoid posting
your birthdate, telephone number, home
address, or images that identify your job
or hobbies. Th is information may oft en
reveal answers to security questions used
to reset passwords, making you a possible
target of scammers looking to access your
accounts and secured information.
Use strong passwords. Create diff erent
passwords for all your accounts. Use
10 to 12 characters in a combination of
letters (upper and lower case), numbers
and symbols. Individuals should regularly
change their passwords as well.
Change your security questions. Don’t
use the same security questions on multiple
accounts. Be careful to select security
questions for which only you know
the answer. Make sure the answers cannot
be guessed or found by searching social
media or the internet.
Turn on two-step verifi cation to access
accounts. To enhance the security of your
account, require your password and an
extra security code to verify your identity
whenever you sign-in to your accounts,
where available.
Beware of phishing. Do not click on
links, download fi les or open attachments
in emails from unknown senders. It is best
to open attachments only when you are
expecting them and know what they contain,
even if you know the sender. Access
more information on phishing from
the Offi ce of Information Technology
Services YouTube page.
Complete the New York State Data
Privacy Consumer Survey. Th rough the
New York State Data Privacy Consumer
Survey, New York State is looking to identify
what, if any, concerns New York consumers
have carrying out transactions in
the digital marketplace today. Th e results of
the survey will be used to inform New York
State policies regarding the online marketplace
and social media, including possible
new laws and regulations. All New Yorkers
are encouraged to complete the survey.
— Courtesy of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance
tax guide
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www.thetaxadvocategroup.com
347-438-1844
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