Cybersecurity.

Criminals use an array of online or electronic means to access, acquire or modify restricted data such as personal information, banking credentials or credit card details. Most fraud and scams these days have a cyber component to them.

Cybercrime includes:

• Phishing
• Malware
• Data breaches
• Hacking
• Denial of service attacks (Ddos)
• Botnets
• Online scams or social engineering
• Identity theft.

Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software

Get protection from viruses and spyware by installing reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Choose a reputable software provider. Once installed, keep your computer protected by:

• updating your software regularly
• setting your computer to automatically check for new virus definitions regularly
• performing regular full scans of your computer, at least weekly
• backing up your devices so you can easily recover your data if necessary
• enabling the screen self-lock function on your devices.

Keep your browser and operating system up to date

From time to time, security weaknesses or bugs are found in browsers and operating systems. Make sure you:

• update your operating system as soon as a new version is released
• install updates to all your applications as soon as they are available
• apply new security patches to software as soon as possible
• avoid downloading programmes, installing software or downloading files unless you can confirm it is from a reputable site and you have a genuine reason to do so.

Using other computers or devices

Avoid using computers or devices that don’t belong to you, or that others can access freely. If you are using a shared computer:

• ensure the computer has the latest anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software installed
• always log out of online accounts when you are finished using them
• enable two factor authentication for online accounts
• password protect any sensitive information such as identification documents or electronic signatures
• do not store passwords or password managers on a shared computer or device unless you can ensure they cannot be accessed by a third party, for example by using Face ID technology.

Public Wi-Fi

This is not secure. Never log into online banking or other services that hold personal or sensitive information using public Wi-Fi. Instead, use mobile data if a private Wi-Fi connection is not available and use the personal hotspot feature on you smartphone.

 Is your computer infected?

Seek advice from a qualified and reputable computer technician if you:

• Are experiencing any unusual activity on your computer, such as unusual icons or extra toolbars appearing, programmes freezing or changes to your homepage that you didn’t initiate
• Have clicked on suspicious links or attachments
• Have given someone remote access to your computer
• Believe that your computer has been hacked.

In some cases, unobtrusive or covert issues – such as keyboard logging or spyware – may not be obvious. You should review your bank statements regularly and make sure all transactions were initiated by you.