Agnes Kirk, Washington state's chief information security officer, is stressing the importance of good cyber hygiene following the recent Equifax data breach and numerous breaches at other organizations before that.
So, what is cyber hygiene?
You’ve heard some of it before, such as having strong logins and passwords and changing them regularly. But the online world has evolved and become a much more dangerous place in recent years. More steps are needed to protect yourself online.
Many experts, for example, now recommend considering a credit freeze, which makes it more difficult for someone to open an account in your name. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office has detailed information on how to place security freezes at Equifax, Experian and Transunion.
A credit freeze at Equifax is currently free. The others charge a fee, unless you are 65 or older, or already a victim of identity theft.
Read the rest of Kirk's cyber hygiene recommendations on the governor’s Medium page.