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Risk Management

by
Matt DeVico
April 30, 2024

table of contents

Risk definition come in many forms and is often referred to as risk management. We find the easiest way to describe is simply as the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about an activity with respect to something that humans value, often focusing on negative, undesirable consequences. None of us want something bad to happen and itspre-wired in our heads to assess the risk of a situation that is presented to us.

High Risk Examples

Example 1, Giving remote access to your computer to a random caller claiming there is an issue, and they can fix it.

Example 2, Clicking a random link in an email.

Example 3, Throwing away Credit Card, utility bill, medical bills, bank statements, or other sensitive information without appropriately shredding it.

Example 4, Connecting to a random public Wi-Fi and browsing sensitive sites and logging in.

Risk is often learned over time. We don’t always know the risk that a given situation presents. If you’re new to computers, how could you possibly know that connecting to a Wi-Fi could put all your information at risk?

Your Companies Risk

The companies you choose to do business with present a risk to your digital well-being. Understanding effective risk management techniques will help you stay safe. Financial Institutions, Banks, Credit Unions, Insurance Agencies, Debt Collectors (often out of your control), Your Doctor’s Office, etc. are all examples of companies that have a lot of sensitive information on you. If you’re even just a little worried about fraud, identity theft, or your personal information being stolen then it’s worth a quick look into the security posture of the organization. Dteckt offers you the ability to understand your risk based on the companies you do business with or may want to do business with.

What Matters When Evaluating If My Information Is Safe?

There are a lot of components that matter and it’s not a small task to suddenlybecome an expert in every area that needs to be accounted for when assessing the risk of an organization.  At Dteckt, we believe that you can break down and understand a company’s performance by evaluating 7 Subjects. Those 7 Subject have more than 15 Topics as well as over 50 Criteria that make up a company score. What are the Subjects?

Technology

The Technology Subject is important in the world of security and privacy. Without a solid tech team focused on security, there’s no way a company can ensure, or even validate, that your information is safe. Companies who do well with the security aspect of technology understand what it takes to lock down devices, find compromises, keep the bad guys out, and ensure your traffic is encrypted when you choose to use their services. Believe it or not, there is an abundance of evidence that can be found online by using a free program to easily let you see the computer systems that belong to a company. From there, bad actors can find flaws in configurations and use those gaps to steal that company’s information.

Policies & Oversight

What industry is the company in, how big is the company, how many people even do security or privacy functions at a company, is the company regulated? Understanding the profile of the company quickly paints a picture as to whether they do things to protect your information. It’s generally a good sign that if a company has nobody doing a function that is intended to protect your information that they likely have nothing in place and would never know if someone stole your information. You should be cautious when engaging with those companies if you have a choice. If a company invests heavily in people and the best standards, they are likely to do a much better job.

Complexity

Imagine a 2-person company. Now picture Amazon. The complexity of managing a multi-national conglomerate is much more difficult than a 2-person company. Even though the tech giant does a lot to protect your information they are still large, complex, and a bigger target for bad actors. By understanding this one point, you already have a good understanding of how complexity plays a role.

Benchmark

Security & Privacy are ever evolving and require dedicated individuals to continue to perform. Comparing an organization to others’ performance can be very insightful. It can give a clear picture as to the choices that are available to you given a specific industry. How do all car dealerships perform? How do all medical offices perform? How do all banks perform? It’s very common for certain industries to perform better than others and at the end of the day, you still need to pick a company – you should pick the best one even if the industry performs poorly?

Customer Outreach

How frustrating is it when you can’t get in touch with someone at a company? If you can’t even get in contact with them for basic support, how do you think it would feel if your information was lost by that company and you were looking for assistance with protecting your identity? It wouldn’t be a fun situation. Customer Outreach is entirely geared towards evaluating a company’s commitment to the customer.

Information Exchange

At the end of the day, there’s no way you can get complete visibility into how good or bad a company performs just from information on the Internet. You absolutely can get great insights and find glaring gaps, but there’s more to it. Security, privacy, and information protection are complex topics. The Information Exchange allows authorized individuals of companies to report on performance to alter scores to give YOU, the consumer, a more accurate picture into performance.  

Knowledge
Apr 30, 2024

The Cost of Free Wi-Fi

The flexibility to work remotely, from any location in the world, is a tempting offer. But without proper internet security knowledge and protocols, remote work may lead to unexpected harm to your personal and business data. The culprit? Your Wi-Fi networks. In fact, free Wi-Fi might come at a price you’re not willing to pay.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
Apr 30, 2024

Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone impersonates you and uses your personal data like your credit cards, name, Social Security number, etc. Bad actors use it to impersonate you.

by
Matt DeVico
Tips
Apr 30, 2024

How to control who has access to your personal information

Imagine a world where you have complete control over your personal information. You can decide who sees it, how they use it, and for how long. It’s a world where you’re not just a product being sold to the highest bidder. It’s a world where you’re in control.

by
Matt DeVico
Tips
Apr 30, 2024

How to Keep Your Devices’ Software Up to Date

Keeping your devices’ software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to protect them from security vulnerabilities and improve their performance. Software updates often include security patches that can fix known vulnerabilities, as well as new features and bug fixes.‍

by
Matt DeVico
Tips
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Opting Out of Tracking and Advertising: Protecting Your Online Privacy

In our digitally connected world, it often feels like our every online move is being watched. Companies use tracking and advertising techniques to collect data on our online behavior, which can feel invasive and concerning.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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The Dark Web

First off, what even is the dark web and why should you care about it? Think of the regular Internet. Think of what Google does for the Internet – they index the entire thing to make it easy for you to find things based on searching for whatever you want.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How to Protect Your Accounts from Being Hacked

In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever to protect your accounts from being hacked. Hackers can steal your personal information, financial information, and even your identity. They can also use your hacked accounts to spread malware or spam.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
Apr 30, 2024

Risk Management

Risk definition come in many forms and is often referred to as risk management. We find the easiest way to describe is simply as the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about an activity with respect to something that humans value, often focusing on negative, undesirable consequences. None of us want something bad to happen and itspre-wired in our heads to assess the risk of a situation that is presented to us.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
Apr 30, 2024

What are the most common types of cyberattacks?

Protecting Your Digital World: A Consumer’s Guide to Common Cyber Attacks

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Why is cybersecurity important? A rant

Cybersecurity is important, people! It’s important for individuals, businesses, and governments. It’s important for our privacy, our finances, and even our national security.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
Apr 30, 2024

Wire Fraud

Wire fraud is real and can happen to anyone. As an example, let’s say you unknowingly accepted fraudulent wire and disbursement instructions that came in your email and transferred the money to criminals. You need to act fast to recover. Accepting wire and disbursement instructions by email is dangerous at best. It’s vital you immediately take these steps to recover from wire fraud.

by
Matt DeVico
Tips
Apr 30, 2024

Password Management

Good Password Management is one of the best ways you can minimize your risk.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
Apr 30, 2024

How to recover from Identity Theft

Identity theft is a serious crime that can have a devastating impact on your life. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. By following these steps, you can recover from identity theft and get your life back on track.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
Apr 30, 2024

How to protect your financial information online

Your financial information is one of the most valuable things you own, so it’s important to take steps to protect it from unauthorized access. In today’s digital world, there are many ways that criminals can try to steal your financial information, so it’s important to be vigilant.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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How can I recover if I’m the victim of financial fraud?

Financial fraud is a crime that can have a devastating impact on victims. It can lead to financial losses, identity theft, and emotional distress. If you’ve been a victim of financial fraud, it’s important to take steps to recover as quickly as possible.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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How Can I Protect Myself from Cyberattacks?

In today’s hyper-connected world, online threats are everywhere, but with some practical steps, you can safeguard your digital life. In this guide, we’ll explore the fundamentals of cybersecurity in a simple and approachable style to help you defend against cyberattacks and preserve your online security.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Dteckt vs LifeLock vs Aura

In today’s increasingly digital world, identity theft is a prevalent concern. With our personal information scattered across various online and offline platforms, the risk of falling victim to fraudulent activities has never been higher. This has led to a surge in demand for identity theft protection services, which aim to safeguard individuals’ sensitive data and protect them from financial losses.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Keeping your Identity Safe Online

Your identity is one of your most valuable assets. It includes your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, and other personal information. If your identity is stolen, criminals can use it to open new accounts in your name, rack up debt, and even commit crimes.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Top 10 Critical Hacks of All Time

Hacking, by definition, is gaining unauthorized access to data in a system or computer. Now, many of us are familiar with hacks or threats of such to our personal data—spam emails, scammers via your phone, and clickbait viruses that can really be a pain to deal with.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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How can I protect my devices from malware and other online threats?

Malware is any software that is designed to harm a computer system or network. It can come in many forms, such as viruses, worms, Trojans, and spyware.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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What are the best practices for financial cybersecurity?

In an era of digital transactions, online banking, and financial investments, the security of our financial assets has become a paramount concern. Ensuring the safety of your financial information and assets in the digital age requires a comprehensive understanding of financial cybersecurity best practices.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How Can I Protect my Privacy Online?

Our privacy is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital world. We share more and more of our personal information online, and this information can be used by companies, governments, and even criminals to track us, target us with advertising, or even steal our identities.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, use disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Digital Parenting

There are an increasing number of devices that connect to the Internet. It’s important to have some visibility or a plan to manage how your children are accessing and using them. The notion of Digital Parenting is still a newer concept and tools to help you navigate are lacking.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How can I prevent online fraud?

Fraud is any act of deception that is used to gain an unfair advantage or to deprive someone of something valuable. Fraud can take many forms, including identity theft, credit card fraud, and investment scams.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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Data Security Threats

One of your biggest threats is choosing what businesses you want to give your information too. Hackers can breach them and get your information without knowledge or wrongdoing from you.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How can I prevent Identity Theft?

Identity theft is a serious problem, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few simple steps, you can protect your personal information and keep your identity safe.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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The Importance Of Data Privacy

Consumer Privacy, the new hot topic in the industry. Organizations focused on building their brand and doing the right thing are focusing a lot of attention on their privacy protections.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How can I manage my passwords securely?

Passwords are the keys to our online lives. They protect our email accounts, social media profiles, bank accounts, and more. But with so many passwords to remember, it’s difficult to keep them all strong and secure.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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Data Breach Recovery

Ok, your data has been breached. Now what? You probably weren’t even the cause of the data breach.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How can I create strong passwords?

A strong password is essential for protecting your online accounts from unauthorized access. A weak password can be easily guessed or cracked by hackers, giving them access to your personal information, financial accounts, and other important data.

by
Matt DeVico
Cybersecurity
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A Deep Dive on the Dark Web

We’ve all heard the term “the dark web”, usually in some scary, abstract way. Many of us probably assume the dark web has nothing to do with us– but what we don’t know actually can hurt us.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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How Can I Backup My Data?

Backing up your data is one of the most important things you can do to protect your digital assets. Data loss can happen for a variety of reasons, such as hardware failure, software crashes, natural disasters, and human error.

by
Matt DeVico
Knowledge
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10 Cybersecurity Tips To Increase Safety and Awareness

We all love the many forms of connectivity offered to us through our devices and the internet, but the truth is, there are significant threats to our privacy as we store information online and on our connected devices.

by
Matt DeVico
free plan

Join us on a Safer Digital Journey

With Dteckt, you’re not just using a service; you’re embracing a safer digital future. Join us on this journey.