Montgomery County recognizes that it has a vital role in identifying, protecting, and responding to cyber threats that may have significant impact on residents’ privacy and our collective security. The Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS), provides an environment for cybersecurity education, training, and awareness.
The County is committed to protecting the information of its taxpayers through strong investments in comprehensive cybersecurity systems, by implementing information security policies, and enforcing industry standards and best practices. Maintaining the security of cyberspace is a shared responsibility in which each of us has a critical role to play. As a part of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign — “Do Your Part #BeCyberSmart” — get informed, be cyber-aware, and engage cybersecurity best practices in your daily online transactions at home and at work.
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Scam of the Week
Handle With Care, This Package is a Scam
In this week’s scam, you receive an unexpected package that has no return address. It contains a low-cost item, along with a QR code that you can scan with your phone’s camera. You may be tempted to scan the code to see if you can find additional information about the package, since you don’t know who sent it.
However, this unexpected gift is actually from cybercriminals. In this “brushing” scam, the package is just a trick to make you curious enough to scan the QR code. If you scan the code, you’ll be taken to a fake webpage and prompted to enter your personal data to view more information about the package. But instead of learning more, you’ll be giving your information to cybercriminals!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to a brushing scam:
- Never scan a QR code in an unexpected package, even if you’re curious about who sent the item. Treat an unknown QR code like a suspicious link in an email.
- Receiving unordered merchandise could be a sign that your address or login details were exposed in a data breach. Change your account passwords immediately to prevent scammers from accessing your sensitive information.
- Verify your recent purchase history by logging in to your online shopping accounts directly. If you can’t verify the source of a suspicious package, discard it.
