Bee Hive Support

Today, I would like to talk to you about the importance of changing your passwords regularly.

As we all know, in this day and age, our online lives are becoming increasingly important. From banking and shopping to staying in touch with loved ones, we rely on the internet for many things. And with so much sensitive information out there, it’s important to take steps to protect ourselves.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is by changing your passwords regularly.  It’s also important to have unique passwords for your online accounts because if you use the same password for multiple accounts, a hacker could gain access to all of them if they figure out one password. By having a unique password for each account, you make it harder for someone to get into all of your accounts at once. This way, even if one account is compromised, your other accounts will still be safe. And by changing the passwords frequently, you can ensure that even if someone gains access to one of your accounts, they won’t be able to stay in for long.

So, the next time you log in to your online accounts, take a moment to update your password. It may seem like a small thing, but it can make a big difference in keeping your information secure.

Using a password safe is easy and can help you keep all your passwords secure in one place. Here’s how you can use it:

1.            Choose a Password Safe: There are many Password Safe options available. Choose one that suits your needs and install it on your device.

2.            Create a strong master password: The master password is the password you use to access your Password Safe. Make sure it is strong and unique.

3.            Add your account details: Add all of your online account details, including usernames and passwords, to the password safe.

4.            Use the password safe to generate unique passwords: Most Password Safes come with a password generator feature. Use it to create strong, unique passwords for your accounts.

5.            Access your accounts with ease: Whenever you need to log in to an account, simply open your Password Safe and copy and paste the password into the login form.

Remember to update your passwords regularly and always keep your master password safe and secure. With a Password Safe, you can protect your online accounts from hackers and keep your personal information safe.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message, and stay safe out there.

The following information is provided by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency:

NCCIC/US-CERT reminds users of the importance of creating and managing strong passwords. Passwords are often the only barrier between you and your personal information. There are several programs attackers can use to help guess or “crack” passwords. However, choosing strong passwords and keeping them confidential can make it more difficult for others to access your information.

NCCIC/US-CERT recommends users take the following actions:

• Use multi-factor authentication when available.
• Use different passwords on different systems and accounts.
• Don’t use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed.
• Use the longest password or passphrase permissible by each password system.
• Don’t use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language.
• Refer to Tips on Choosing and Protecting Passwords and Supplementing Passwords for best practices and additional information.
  
  And an additional suggestion from Bee Hive Support, it is better to use a program to store your passwords – and not a piece of paper with all your passwords!
  
  If you would like to discuss a password vault program for you, please feel free to reach out to Bee Hive Support.

The IRS continues to warn consumers to guard against scam phone calls from thieves intent on stealing their money or their identity. Criminals pose as the IRS to trick victims out of their money or personal information. Here are several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:

• Scammers make unsolicited calls.  Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave “urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email.
   
• Callers try to scare their victims.  Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money.
   
• Scams use caller ID spoofing.  Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
   
• Cons try new tricks all the time.  Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.
   
• Scams cost victims over $23 million.  The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports of about 736,000 scam contacts since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million as a result of the scam.

The IRS will NEVER:

• Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
   
• Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
   
• Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
   
• Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
   
• Threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.

If you don’t owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:

• Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
   
• Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” webpage. You can also call 800-366-4484.
   
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “FTC Complaint Assistant” on FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.

If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax:

• Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you.

Phone scams first tried to sting older people, new immigrants to the U.S. and those who speak English as a second language. Now the crooks try to swindle just about anyone. And they’ve ripped-off people in every state in the nation.

Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

And those Social Security calls are scams too! Here is a great article by AARP