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- Did you get a call from a loved one asking for money? Do you have a Personal Identifier?
Did you get a call from a loved one asking for money? Do you have a Personal Identifier?
Did you ask for a Personal Identifier? These stories are rampant now - people getting calls thinking they are legitimate, only to realize after they hung up the phone that they have lost a lot of money to the scammer.
Daniel Masterson, Ai Courtrie Buson & Bard Gee
May 17, 2024
☝️ TOP STORY
Establish a Personal Identifier now
 | More and more people are getting calls from people they know well but these people are asking money from them. But do they really know these people they think they know? Again, think twice before you part with your money. |
Whether it’s a code or a unique information, it is something that is personally known only by people who are close to you. Maybe it is where you were born or that one birthday gift you got, make sure that you can establish more than one Personal Identifiers with the people you are close to.
To learn more about Personal Identifiers, search for “Personal Identifier” in our archives here.
Additionally, here is a story about AI-generated deepfakes from Marketplace APM.
Meanwhile … Google will use Gemini to detect scams during calls. Read more about how you can take advantage of that.
📰 Headline Highlights 📰
Boeing confirms attempted $200 million ransomware extortion attempt
Dell warns of data breach, 49 million customers allegedly affected
Ascension healthcare takes systems offline after cyberattack
Singing River Health System: Data of 895,000 stolen in ransomware attack
Solar storms made GPS tractors miss their mark at the worst time for farmers
In other news, Do you know what Hexagon Center also can help you with your smart home security? Read about how I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be.
MUST READ: The battle for trade secrets and national security. Don’t worry, this is easy-listen. Best part is, you can be doing anything while listening to this.
🤷♀️ What now?
Is it time to check your credit report?
If your bank hasn’t been actively sending you your credit activities, then maybe you should do it yourself. And if they have been very proactive in doing it, there are two other credit agencies you need to check.
Do you know that Annual Credit Report helps you hit all three agencies - and they do it for you for free at least once a week? Just go to www.annualcreditreport.com |  Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash |
Or you can just go to each of the individual credit agency websites and get it from them directly. Just make sure you’re on the correct website and know that you are not obligated to buy anything there.
As we constantly seek to improve on the newsletter, it is valuable for us to hear from you. We want to make sure that it is appealing for people to even just open the newsletter to see what is relevant and important to them.
HX Weekly is designed to be a reminder to all who may be vulnerable to cyber threat actors - and that is all of us. If they can’t get us now, they may get us when we are least aware, unless we are always well aware.
Social media is a very efficient way for Hexagon Center to do our PSA. You can help us to do that by adding or following us on various social media websites. If you can’t find us, let us know by replying to this email
Glossary/Legend:
Personal Identifier - A phrase, code or situation that correctly identifies the person you are trying to verify.
Cyber Attackers and Cyber Predators - these terms refer to people who use any kind of technology, including cell phones, to prey on us.
DRP - Disaster Response Plan. A plan on what to do in times when there is a disaster and you have lost your devices.
Ransomware - is a set of technologies that allow computers to perform advanced functions. AI combines math, computer science, and cognitive science to mimic human behavior.
Deepfake - A synthetic media that has been manipulated to replace one person's likeness with another. Deepfakes are created by a special type of machine learning called "deep" learning. They can be videos, photos, or audio recordings that appear real but have been manipulated with AI.
HOUSEKEEPING
Spread cybersecurity culture
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Even though we aim to provide you the most current and critical information to keep you safe, threat actors work 24/7 and this newsletter publishes only once a week. Even though we are available via a hotline, it is crucial that you stay up to date via other sources as well to be informed on how you may be at risk.
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Hexagon Center is formed as a nonprofit corporation in California for public benefit,
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DISCLAIMER
Cybersecurity is an ever-changing field, and threats may evolve. While Hexagon Center strives to provide accurate and timely information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Users are responsible for implementing their security measures and staying informed about the latest cybersecurity developments.
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