You may think “It’ll never happen to me!” but it can, and it will. Unless you take cybersecurity seriously, that is. All it takes is one careless or uneducated user to create a point of infiltration into your IT infrastructure. A single mistake – clicking a link or opening a dangerous attachment – can result in a massive data loss.
Here are some quick and easy cybersecurity tips we action to help you avoid the pain of cyber-attacks.
123456 Doesn’t Cut IT
Cybercriminals can crawl and crawl until they strike it lucky and match your password. Use a login that has letters, numbers and other characters. Don’t use the same password across multiple sites. Change your workstation login regularly.
Click Safely
Think before you click on links or open attachments in emails, even if they aren’t in your junk folder. Check that the URL looks authentic. Can you spot a phoney website?
Browse Safely
When shopping or banking online, you should only use your own device and a Wi-Fi network that you know and trust. A friend’s device may not have robust antimalware. The Wi-Fi at the local pub may be free but it’s not secure. Your data can be copied or stolen in the blink of an eye.
Back-Up
Unless you have all your data saved on cloud storage, back it up regularly and routinely. It’s boring and potentially time-consuming but when you lose your data, it’s gone for good. Keep all anti-virus up to date.
Don’t Plug and Play
Malware can spread through infected USB drives, external SSDs and smartphones. Be vigilant about what you plug into your computer. If possible, do a malware scan before connecting any external device.
Sign Out
If you do check email or login to a site on a public computer don’t forget to sign out. It’s so easy to leave your Gmail or Outlook accounts open for all to see and manipulate. Is that really what you want?
You might think that you’ve heard all this cybersecurity babble before. It’s our experience that you can never hear it enough. Apply these easy tips and remain free from the clutches of hackers.
