Important Online Safety Reminders for DCHA Customers

Safeguarding the information of staff, applicants, residents, voucher participants and landlords is important to DCHA – and to our customers. To help with this, DCHA is sharing information on protecting your personal information.

The DC Housing Authority’s (DCHA) Information Technology (IT) team and third-party cyber experts are working together to fully restore operations quickly, safely, and efficiently, and to complete their investigation of this cybersecurity incident.

Safeguarding the information of staff, applicants, residents, voucher participants and landlords is important to DCHA – and to our customers. To help with this, DCHA is sharing information on protecting your personal information. Other resources about best practices are also available by visiting the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s website at https://www.cisa.gov/.

What is personal identifying information?

Personal identifying information includes details that could be used to identify you. Examples include your social security number, driver’s license number, taxpayer identification number, credit or debit card number, or account numbers, access codes or passwords used to access a financial account.

Best Practices to Protect Your Information Online

Passwords

  • Update your passwords.
  • Use a different password for each important account (email, banking, social media). If one gets stolen, the rest stay safe.
  • Turn on two factor authentication wherever you can. Sometimes called 2FA or multi factor authentication, two-factor authentication means even if someone gets your password, they still can’t get in without a second code. The second code is usually sent to your cell phone or designated email to validate access.

Spotting Scams & Phishing Emails

  • If an email or text seems urgent or scary, slow down. Scammers use urgency so you act without thinking. Examples include: “Your account will be closed!” or “Suspicious activity detected!”
  • Don’t click links in unexpected emails or texts. If you think your bank or another company really needs something from you, go to their website directly by typing it in yourself, or call them using the phone number listed on your card or statement.
  • Check for small misspellings in email addresses or website names. Scammers often use email addresses or websites that look nearly identical to the company’s actual accounts. For example, “arnazon.com” instead of “amazon.com”.
  • Companies and government agencies will never ask for your password over the phone or by email.

Social Media

  • Think twice before posting personal details like your birthday, address, phone number, or when you’re going on vacation.
  • Regularly check your privacy settings. Apps sometimes change their defaults, and something you thought was private may not be anymore.
  • Turn off “location sharing” on posts to avoid broadcasting exactly where you are in real time.
  • Be careful with fun quizzes that also ask for personal details. For example, some ask questions, like “What’s the name of the street you grew up on?” or “Name the model of your first car.” These same questions may be used as security questions for your actual accounts, and scammers could use your answers to break into them.

Using Your Phone & Computer Safely

  • DCHA may send communications to our customers via text messages sent from 34211.
  • Keep your phone, computer, and apps updated. Dealing with update notifications and waiting for the update to complete may be frustrating, however they often fix security problems.
  • Avoid logging into your bank or entering passwords while on public Wi-Fi. For example, the Wi-Fi at coffee shops or airports. It is easier for others to snoop on publicly available Wi-Fi.
  • Always log out of accounts when using a shared or public computer.

Money and Financial Safety

  • Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for charges that you don’t recognize.
  • If you’re not planning to open new credit anytime soon, consider a credit freeze. This makes it harder for someone to open accounts in your name.
  • Be skeptical of any offer that seems too good to be true, especially if it asks for payment information up front.


Everyday Habits

  • Only give out personal information when it’s truly necessary. If a form lists a field as optional, feel free to skip it.
  • Delete old accounts or apps that you no longer use.
  • Shred documents with personal information (old bills, statements, etc.) before throwing them away.
  • Talk to family members, especially older relatives or younger kids, about these habits. They’re targeted more often by scammers.