Winston-Salem, NC -- Cyber security has been in the spotlight this week, as the web watched Burger King and Jeep lose control of their Twitter accounts.
It's easy to think something like that won't happen to the rest of us, but a cyber security expert at Wake Forest University says it likely will.
Elizabeth Baker, an assistant professor in information systems, says your smart phone -- and what you do with it -- is what's most likely to make you a hacking target.
"[People] think it's a personal device," she said. "It is a personal device -- that if it's connected to the internet, everyone in the world has access to. And people just don't appreciate that."
Browsers and apps on smart phones just aren't as secure yet as those on a typical computer, Baker says. So if you're checking your tax return status on your phone and you type in your social security number, for instance, Baker contends you're making that information vulnerable to hackers.
The same goes for mobile banking, she says. And you could even put your medical information at risk if you use a pharmacy app.
So not only should you come up with a plan to safeguard your information, Baker says you should be ready to act when you're hacked.
If your Twitter account is compromised, for example, Baker says you should get on Facebook and tell everyone not to trust what's coming from your hacked account. Then follow Twitter's online instructions for taking back control.
If it's your bank account that's hacked, she says you should monitor your credit report for a few months and keep a close watch on your account activity.
No matter the account that's hacked, as soon as you discover a problem, make sure the password you use for the compromised account isn't being used on any of your other accounts.
WFMY News 2