Cyberattacks on nursing homes: How to protect your loved ones

Taking care of your loved ones comes in multiple forms cooking a warm meal after a long day lending a listening ear when life gets tough sending a check-in text just because or making sure they receive the right aid at a nursing home But as up-to-date events have shown care shouldn t stop there Physical and mental well-being are essential but protecting finances and personal information is just as fundamental I ll walk you through several approaches you can take and several services worth considering to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals STAY PROTECTED INFORMED GET PREVENTION ALERTS EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURT S THE CYBERGUY REVIEW NOWScammers and fraudsters often have no moral compass and they increasingly target the the greater part vulnerable especially nursing homes and the personal input of their residents Take the situation of Hillcrest Nursing Home the victim of a cyberattack that led to a facts breach affecting more than people Names birth dates Social Guard numbers case records remedy information insurance details and provider records all leaked in a single matter WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI The good news There are things you can do to help safeguard your loved ones financial and personal figures in the event of a similar breach HOW CRIMINALS ARE EXPLOITING PERSONAL INFORMATION TO TARGET VULNERABLE SENIORS IN ELDER FRAUDIn the first sparse months of alone more than half a dozen nursing homes have revealed various form of cyberattack Experts say elderly patients are being targeted because they re entirely easier marks from limited digital literacy to a lower likelihood of regularly monitoring their financial or physiological accounts Add to that the often outdated and vulnerable IT infrastructure of nursing homes and you ve got a prime target As a prevention advisor from Optiv a cybersecurity solutions company explains these centers typically operate on tight budgets which means cybersecurity isn t constantly a top priority or even feasible at the level it should be BEST TECH TO HELP A LOVED ONE WITH MEMORY ISSUESCybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated but with the right precautions you can protect your loved ones from falling victim to these threats Here s a guide to six essential actions you can take to safeguard their personal and financial information Facts breaches usually happen for one reason financial gain This often involves selling stolen information to scammers or hackers who use it for fraudulent pursuits such as running credit fraud schemes Since a great number of forms of identity theft revolve around credit accounts it s crucial to take action if your or a loved one s personal information has been exposed One of the most of effective strategies to prevent credit fraud is by placing a precaution freeze on your credit accounts A protection freeze stops anyone from opening new accounts issuing new cards or conducting any credit-related pursuits in your name while the freeze is in place If managing this process feels overwhelming consider using an identity theft protection organization These services can handle placing and managing measure freezes on your behalf saving you time and ensuring the process is done correctly Plenty of of these services also offer additional features such as credit monitoring and alerts to help you stay on top of likely threats to your personal information Taking this step can significantly reduce the menace of identity theft and provide peace of mind that your financial information is secure Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Assurance number phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft A fraud alert is an extra layer of protection for your credit accounts Like a credit freeze you can set it up with all three credit bureaus When you activate a fraud alert it notifies the bureaus that there may be suspicious activity on your account As a impact any attempts to open new credit or make changes will be looked at more precisely Equifax You can place a fraud alert online or by calling their customer backing at - Experian Place a fraud alert online or contact their customer operation at - TransUnion You can place a fraud alert online or call them at - GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERENow that your credit accounts are secured there s one more step worth taking a broader layer of protection I m talking about personal input removal services These companies specialize in removing your personal information from the internet With how easy it is for someone to find details like your name address contact info relatives and more you and your loved ones are at greater menace for scams and identity theft This is especially true for older adults who are often seen as easier targets by scammers Even just for peace of mind it s worth taking this extra step There are plenty of services out there that tackle this issue Check out my top picks for evidence removal services here Install strong antivirus system to further safeguard your loved ones' devices and personal information Strong antivirus programs help block malware spyware and phishing attempts that can lead to identity theft The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware potentially accessing your private information is to have antivirus system installed on all your devices This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams keeping your personal information and digital assets safe Get my picks for the best antivirus protection winners for your Windows Mac Android and iOS devices Encourage your loved ones to regularly review their bank and credit card statements for any suspicious transactions or do it for them Early detection can help prevent vital financial loss A multitude of elderly people fall victim to scams due to limited digital literacy Providing basic cybersecurity teaching such as recognizing phishing emails avoiding suspicious links and using strong passwords can significantly reduce their menace of being targeted Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords Get more details about my best expert-reviewed Password Managers of here HOW VR INSTRUMENT IS CURING LONELINESS IN SENIORS Remember that protecting your loved ones from cyber threats and identity theft is an ongoing process It s not just about taking a scarce strategies and forgetting about it It's about continually updating your strategies as new threats emerge By combining these measures like freezing credit accounts using fraud alerts removing personal content from the internet installing strong antivirus system regularly reviewing financial statements and educating them on internet safety you can significantly reduce the exposure of identity theft and provide peace of mind for both you and your loved ones Have you or a loved one ever been a victim of a cyberattack or identity theft How did you handle it Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy com ContactFor more of my tech tips and safety alerts subscribe to my free CyberGuy Statement Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy com Newsletter Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the majority of questioned CyberGuy questions New from Kurt Copyright CyberGuy com All rights reserved