The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is offering tips to help members avoid financial losses and damaged credibility caused by hackers. According to data from the FBI, real estate and rental fraud caused more than $221 million in losses in 2019, a 48 percent increase over 2018.

“Whatever people tell you, there is no guarantee to keep you safe from data breaches,” says Chris DeRosa, NAR’s member information and ecommerce product leader. “But awareness can help so you become aware of the threats and how they are getting through so that you can then take more preventative efforts to protect your business.”

“Real estate is a major target that hackers are going after,” said Craig Grant, CEO of the Real Estate Technology Institute. “Be vigilant,” or it can destroy your finances, reputation, and harm your clients.

Here are five ideas from the REALTOR® Magazine article, “13 Ways to Step Up Your Defense Against Hackers:”

• If fraud occurs, act immediately to improve your chances of recovery.
• Use a password vault app that uses two-factor authentication or biometric access like a fingerprint.
• Use a passphrase as a password because it provides a better defense from hackers rather than birthdays, names of pets, children, etc.
• Don’t click on unsolicited links to prevent malware from reading your keystrokes and capturing passwords.
• Check email addresses closely to prevent being fooled by hackers using addresses that are very close to someone you know.

Read the entire article for more ideas to stop hackers.