Earlier this week, tech guru Carl Sheline and Androscoggin Bank security specialist Genevieve Hering told local young professionals how they could protect their consumer information this holiday season. 

We asked them to teach us, too.

Turns out passwords and vigilance are involved. And, possibly, tinfoil.

Names: Carl Sheline and Genevieve Hering

Ages: Carl, 35; Genevieve, 25

Reside: Carl, Lewiston; Genevieve, Turner

Job: Carl, office manager of Center Street Dental; Genevieve, senior information security specialist at Androscoggin Bank

What’s your experience with consumer information and technology?  

CS: My background is in IT, specifically network and system administration. The last IT job I had was director of computer services for the School of Dentistry at Loma Linda University in California.

GH: I’ve been working with consumer information and technology at Androscoggin Bank for four years now as part of an Information Security Committee that’s dedicated to protecting our clients and preventing and resolving fraud.

Are debit card breaches and cyber attacks really on the rise or does it just feel like I should be hiding under the bed? 

CS: I’ll let Genevieve take this one!

GH: You’re not crazy, debit card breaches and cyber attacks are on the rise. There’s various reasons for why this is happening, but the reality is cyber crime is not going away anytime soon.

On a scale ranging from nuthin’-to-see-here to Armageddon, how concerned should people be?  

CS: People shouldn’t be worried, but they should be aware. Checking your account history regularly, checking your credit report, enabling a password on your phone, making sure your passwords aren’t your pet’s name and shredding sensitive documents are all steps you can take to reducing the likelihood that identity theft will happen to you or you’ll catch it before it becomes tragic.

GH: People should be concerned, but I wouldn’t say that this is Armageddon. Although cyber breaches are costly, scary and destructive, they are preventable and recoverable. We need to take it upon ourselves to be more aware and more protective of our personal information and any information belonging to others in our control.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?  

CS: That identity theft happens to you and you don’t realize it for weeks or months.  

GH: Your credit and debit cards are protected and your banks will take care of you. You may lose money in your account today, and that’s frightening, but it will be replaced quickly, a new card will be issued and the incident will be over. Identity theft is much more expensive, takes much more time to resolve and has lasting implications for victims.

So I’m shopping. Let’s say . . . for the holidays. How do I protect myself?  

CS: A tinfoil Santa hat.

GH: The best way to protect yourself is to be aware. If you’re shopping online, are your computer patches current? Is your anti-virus updated? Do you know how to avoid being phished? If you’re out and about, do you know how to identify a skimmer? Are you shopping with multiple cards or are you limiting your exposure and only using one?

In particular, how can I make sure Target/Home Depot/Neiman Marcus don’t happen to me? 

CS: You obviously can’t control breaches at stores, but you can check your account history regularly and keep tabs on account balances.

GH: (In addition), many banks, including Androscoggin Bank, offer mobile banking and mobile alerts so you can check your accounts regularly or even create text message alerts to notify you of unexpected activity.

Which is more dangerous — online shopping, bricks-and-mortar stores or those toll-free numbers I see on infomercials? (Someone is bound to want the Perfect Bacon Bowl this Christmas.) 

CS: I’ll let Genevieve take this one!

GH: I haven’t heard of the Perfect Bacon Bowl! What am I missing out on? In all seriousness, it’s difficult to say what’s riskier in terms of your payment information. No matter where your payment is received, it has to be processed, and that requires the Internet.

What’s the dumbest thing someone can do? 

CS: Not enabling a password on your phone.

GH: The worst thing someone can do is to not pay attention and believe it won’t happen to them. Everyone is a potential victim.

Have you ever had something happen to your information? 

CS: Yes. Back in Arizona someone used my credit card information to purchase phone cards. Since I was checking my account regularly I caught and resolved it quickly.

GH: Yes — twice. The first time I didn’t know until a grocery store transaction was declined. It was very embarrassing, but in the end my bank reimbursed me for my loss and I learned to pay better attention to my accounts. The second time I caught it right away. Again, I didn’t end up losing any money.

How about I just use cash? 

CS: And lose your wallet?

GH: That’s a personal choice. Would you rather be out money or out time? If your card is stolen, your bank reimburses you for your fraud losses, but you should be prepared to spend at least some time filing a dispute. If your cash is stolen, you’re out of luck, but you probably won’t have to fill out paperwork.

Editor’s note: Some answers were edited to avoid duplication.