BBB: Be On Your Toes During Cyber Security Month

October is Cyber Security Month, and the Northwest agriculture community is reminded to be on their toes and do their homework.  So much of the farming process is high tech these days from GPS equipped tractors and pivots, to on-line purchases and sales, and that means farmers are as vulnerable as any small business to cyber attacks and scams.  Kirstin Davis with the Better Business Bureau said it’s important you take every precaution to keep your information and files secure.

“If you go to bed at night, you check to make sure your door is locked.  If you go to bed tonight make sure your computer is turned off, because if your computer is turned off it can’t be hacked.  So, that’s really the mindset we have to have now.”

Davis said whether it’s personal shopping, or making purchases for your farm, make sure the website you’re using is reputable.

“It has to have that https://.  The ‘S’ stands for secure.  That means that website has gone through all of the measures to make sure your information is as protected as it posibilty can be with a security certificate.”

Davis added it’s also important to keep your machines, including tablets and phones updated; many of those updates can help stave off the latest round of spam and malware.

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