David Kennedy of First Credit Resources, who is the current president of the American Recovery Association and one of the speakers on tap for Used Car Week, offered four suggestions for what protective moves repossession agencies, another other service providers, should make with their computer and technology systems.

Coinciding with October being National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Kennedy recommended that companies at least should have:

— Firewalls

— Cybersecurity programs, such as Malwarebytes or Norton that can help block malware, ransomware, adware and other threats

— Use a password manager.

— Ensure your Wi-Fi is secure on mobile devices.

“With these in place, you can keep out a lot of the bad stuff. Just remember, there are consequences for your online actions,” Kennedy said in a message ARA distributed last week.

“In the end, the keys are: Get educated, and be diligent. Employees have to be made aware that what may appear to them a harmless Internet connection can open the door for a ruthless cyberattack,” Kennedy continued.

More data about cyberattacks and what the industry can do to prevent them can be found on ARA’s website at www.repo.org.