If you want to get attention, mess with our gas and meat.

That means everyone is suddenly more aware of ransomware than they were a few weeks ago.  And although the Department of Justice got back a couple of million dollars of what was paid during the Colonial Pipeline hack, it is tough to imagine that is going to make this issue go away. We should take this to heart even if we are not near the head of big companies for the security of our information can be very tenuous. This seems like a good time, then, to be reminded of measures to take to try to keep that information secure.

The first thing to do is just be aware of the need for security. If you are keeping some electronic information and you are unsure if it is secure or not, check on that. We are keeping so much in various cloud environments and the amount of security on them can vary. It is also a concern of many platforms, though, so it is quite possible that even if you are unaware of how secure your information is, it may be very secure. But it is worth taking a little bit of time to make sure.

The next thing to do is to make sure that the measures you are taking personally are up to date. Many people have some form of security software on a computer, but they install it once and forget about it. For that type of software to remain useful, updates are needed or you will not be protected against the newest tactics. So when that program says it needs to be updated, update it.

Better yet, use that as a rule for everything that says it needs to be updated. You may pay attention to the notices that pop up when your computer’s operating system says it needs to run an update, but how about each app you run? And sure, when ranking the importance of these updates, those apps will be low on the list. Many times, though, those updates do address security issues and the few moments it takes to see to them can be worth it.

Another thing you may want to keep in mind is keeping money in more secure accounts. With a checking account, each time you write a check, use a debit card, make an online purchase, etc., that information is being sent out into the world somewhere. A savings account that does not have checks written on it, debit purchases coming out of it, etc., remains a bit more difficult for others to access.

What a lot of this comes down to is mindfulness. If you pay attention and think about the issue, you will take actions to try to hold it off. This is not a guarantee of success but it at least keeps you from being an easy mark.