In honor of Cybersecurity Month, we would like to start your week with tips to stay safe online. Today's subject: Spear Phishing.

Spear Phishing is like phishing, but highly targeted to a specific individual or organization. The motive is to steal sensitive information such as account or financial information from a specific victim or organization.

Here are some tips to protect yourself:

• Limit the amount of personal information that you post online.
• If an email is asking you to take immediate action, pause a moment. It could be that a malicious attacker is pushing you into making a hurried decision.
• If you know the sender, call them on the phone and confirm if they really sent the e-mail.
• If an e-mail appears to be from your bank, don’t call any numbers mentioned in the e-mail. Instead call the bank’s official toll-free number.
• Don’t assume that emails from friends, family, or colleagues will have safe links or attachments.
• Avoid clicking on short URLs. You never know where they might take you.

Be Smart. Be Aware. Be Secure.