When Hackers turn up the heat...

7 min read

When Hackers turn up the heat...

How secure is your personal information?

Dear Friends,

Every now and then, something crosses my path that makes me pause and consider the bigger picture. Sometimes it's a statistic, a conversation, or a news story that, on the surface, doesn't seem to have much to do with financial counseling. But when you start connecting the dots, the implications become much more personal.

Recently, it was a story out of Europe about hackers gaining access to supermarket refrigeration systems. In early November, temperatures in some stores reportedly climbed to 122°F, spoiling food and disrupting operations. Similar attacks had affected hundreds of French supermarkets just weeks earlier. Then came reports that refrigeration systems at three French blood-service facilities had also been targeted. Fortunately, monitoring systems alerted staff before any blood products were lost. And around the same time, hackers pulled off what investigators described as the largest cryptocurrency theft in history, stealing approximately $6.3 billion from Binance, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Investigators found that fake job interviews and malicious software helped hackers gain access to employee computers.

Think about that. Grocery store freezers, lifesaving medical supplies, and billions of dollars in digital assets, all vulnerable through different weaknesses in interconnected technology.

If these systems are vulnerable, what does that tell us about the technology we depend on to manage our own lives?

The connections we don't always think about

We bank online, pay bills through apps, access medical records through patient portals, and store important documents in the cloud. The convenience is remarkable, but so is the amount of personal information moving between connected systems.

Consider the financial apps we use to monitor credit scores, build budgets, track spending, or identify forgotten subscriptions. Many are useful tools, but some require access to our financial accounts through third-party data providers. We may be carefully protecting our banking passwords while allowing several other companies access to portions of that same financial information. And those connections can remain active long after we've stopped using an app.

Every additional connection creates another relationship that must be protected and potentially another point of vulnerability.

According to the FBI, Americans reported approximately $20.9 billion in internet crime losses in 2025. The Change Healthcare cyberattack affected approximately 192.7 million individuals, disrupting medical billing, insurance processing, and healthcare payments. Different incidents, but reminders of how far the consequences of a security failure can reach. With advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence, scammers are finding increasingly convincing ways to impersonate legitimate companies and individuals.

None of this is meant to instill panic or suggest an argument against technology. Its benefits are undeniable, and many of these tools have made managing our everyday lives considerably easier. It's simply a reminder that convenience comes with a responsibility to understand how our information is being used, shared, and protected.

Technology should be a tool that helps us manage our lives, not something we become so dependent upon that we lose the ability to manage them ourselves.

Our personal line of defense

I often talk about the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, and the value of giving ourselves a moment or two to reflect before clicking a link, making a purchase, or sharing personal information.

We cannot control the cybersecurity practices of every institution holding our information, but we can be more intentional about our own safeguards. Let me ask you: When was the last time you reviewed which apps have access to your financial accounts? Or considered what would happen if your phone, computer, or cloud account suddenly became inaccessible?

According to a 2024 survey by Backblaze, 74% of surveyed American computer owners reported having accidentally deleted important data. Nearly three out of four! I don't know about you, but that makes me feel slightly better about all those emails I still have taking up space in my inbox! On the flip side, only 15% felt absolutely certain their important files were securely backed up. What a conundrum.

I'm certainly not going to argue against the convenience of cloud storage, but it shouldn't necessarily be our only safeguard. Maintaining encrypted backups of essential records on a separate device, securely storing important paper documents, and knowing how to recover information are all practical steps toward protecting ourselves.

And here's something else worth remembering: Deleting an app from your phone doesn't necessarily revoke its access to your financial information. Those permissions may need to be removed separately through your financial institution or the service that originally authorized access. The same caution applies when disposing of old electronics. Printers, computers, and other devices may retain personal information long after we've stopped using them. Before recycling or donating, make sure stored information is securely erased or the storage media properly destroyed.

Being proactive doesn't mean we can prevent every problem. It means taking a few practical steps today that could save us considerable frustration, expense, and worry tomorrow.

Organization is part of financial protection

This is one of the reasons we developed our Life & Financial Organizer at Money Management Counselors. If you missed our Life & Financial Organizer program at Learning in Retirement this past month, we offer the information for free on our workshop website. We had a great group and some good discussions about scams, document safety, and much more.

Our free packet and accompanying educational program help individuals and families identify important financial, legal, medical, and personal records, understand what should be retained, and establish a secure system for locating information when needed. The idea isn't to hand over control of our personal affairs to someone else, but to make sure we know what information we have, where to find it, and who to contact when needed.

After all, we spend a great deal of time talking about building emergency savings and protecting our money, but how often do we give the same consideration to protecting the information we rely on to manage our everyday lives?

And that brings me to one last thought. We spend a lifetime collecting important documents and information, but when life throws us that unexpected curveball, how confident are we that we could actually put our hands on what we need? Especially if it's all stored electronically and our phone just happened to take a dive into the toilet. Sometimes it's not a cyberattack that creates the problem, just a moment of everyday life!

Our personal line of defense begins with knowing what we have, understanding who has access to it, and making sure we can recover it when the unexpected happens.

Because it's more than JUST about the money…

With gratitude, Leslie Boden, CCC, FSW Director

Join us for A Cup of Christmas Tea at MUSE!

Friday, December 18, 2026 | 6:30–8:00 p.m. MUSE, Sturgeon Bay

If you've been receiving our annual newsletter over the years, you know that at the end of each year, I send along a holiday letter with a tea bag tucked inside. It's a simple tradition, an invitation to take a moment during the hustle and bustle of the season to pause, reflect, and enjoy a holiday cuppa.

Well, this past month, while cleaning off a bookshelf, I came across an old favorite. The moment I picked it up, it brought back fond memories. The book was A Cup of Christmas Tea, a heartwarming story that reminds us of the importance of taking time for others, especially during the busy holiday season. And that got me thinking. For years, we've shared a holiday cup of tea in spirit, connected through a letter and a tea bag tucked inside an envelope. Why not bring that tradition to life and share that moment together?

And so, the idea for A Cup of Christmas Tea at MUSE was born.

Instead of sharing a holiday cuppa from afar, we're inviting you to gather with us for an evening of conversation, a favorite Christmas story, seasonal music, a few familiar carols, and, of course, a cup of tea!

We'll enjoy a special theatrical reading of A Cup of Christmas Tea and Memories of a Cup of Christmas Tea by Rogue Theater, along with Holiday Carols, Christmas cookies and holiday treats, warm tea, cider, and cocoa. MUSE will also have a cash bar available.

Admission is pay-what-you-can,

and children 12 and under are welcome free of charge.

(Due to space limitations, we will be taking reservations ahead of time.)

We want everyone to feel welcome to share in the evening, regardless of their financial circumstances. But beyond all that, my hope is simply to bring people together for a little holiday cheer. A chance to slow down, visit with friends and neighbors, share a favorite holiday story, sing a familiar carol or two, and enjoy a tradition that, until now, we've shared from afar.

After all, isn't that part of what makes the holidays special? Taking a little time for one another.

I hope you'll join us for a holiday cuppa!

A little something extra to take home

And speaking of getting our ducks in a row, as we discussed earlier in this newsletter, knowing where to find our important information can be just as important as keeping it safe.

We'll have free Life & Financial Organizer Kits available at A Cup of Christmas Tea to help you gather and organize important financial, medical, legal, and personal information. Think of it as a little something to help turn those thoughts about being prepared into action.

Be sure to pick one up while you're enjoying your holiday cuppa!

More Information

There's still time to send someone a "You've Been Fruitcaked!" greeting sign!

If anyone recognized our elf, though a bit bigger these days, the message of holiday fruitcake mischief is still the same! Our Fruitcake Yard Sign Fundraiser is making its return, and we still have a few signs available for our first delivery on December 5th!

If you remember our original Fruitcake fundraiser, you know it's all about sharing a little holiday humor while supporting a good cause. And if you're new to the fun, here's your chance to get in on the mischief!

Surprise a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member with an 18" × 24" Fruitcake yard sign delivered right to their lawn. You can even remain anonymous and leave them wondering who thinks they're such a fruitcake!

Signs start at just $25, with additional giving levels of $45 and $75 helping support Money Management Counselors' financial education and counseling programs. And the fun doesn't have to stop with the first delivery! For a $20 donation, recipients can pass their Fruitcake along to someone else, keeping the holiday mischief traveling from lawn to lawn.

We have just a few Fruitcakes left for December 5th delivery, so don't wait too long to spread a little holiday cheer!

After all, who doesn't have a Fruitcake or two in their life?

And the best part? Every Fruitcake helps support financial education and counseling right here in Door and Kewaunee Counties.

Delivery dates are subject to weather conditions.

FRUITCAKE SIGN MADNESS!! SIGN ME UP!