Due to the recent pandemic and more business being conducted online, Brooks Braithwaite have identified Cyber Crime as an Emerging Risk that is unfortunately going to be more and more present in our daily lives. In order to keep you informed we have comprised 5 top tips we feel can help you avoid becoming a target.
- Passwords – We all know we should change them regularly and they should be unique to ourselves but many people still use the same password for multiple sites with the password itself consisting of pets or children’s names which can be easy for a hacker to guess. When creating passwords try to keep them above 10 characters with a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. If you struggle to think of passwords then 3 random words can be a very strong choice.
- Be Aware of Social Media – The majority of us have some presence on social media whether it be in our personal lives or through our business. This becomes a perfect tool for hackers to harvest information from the contents you post innocently such as loved one’s names, pets or birthdays. This information can then be used for fake accounts or to guess your passwords or answer security questions
- Educate the children in your lives – We are all aware of the dangers posed to children online, however have you considered what information they may be sharing? Hackers are getting cleverer about how they are gaining information and one common way is through children who do not know they are giving out personal data which could be used in an attack on their family. Due to the pandemic, more people are now working from home whilst trying to juggle childcare and working odd hours, all of which hackers will use to their advantage in order to gain infomation.
- Cyber Insurance – Of course as insurance brokers, we are going to suggest a product such as cyber insurance to help protect your business but this is something we really believe in and want to shout about from the roof tops! Cyber insurance can include a range of cover that will not only protect you from the financial impact but also loss of data and client confidence. To find out more please contact one of the team
- Keep Your Software Updated – Most computers will automatically prompt you to do so which can be annoying however this is not something that should just be dismissed. To make it easier you can turn on ‘automatic updates’ where possible which will take the hassle away. There is also software available which can scan your system for viruses and malware and identify any gaps or leaks in your computers.
- Public Wifi – Public Wifi has its place and can sometimes assist us when we are on the move or stuck for hours in an airport for example, however sometimes this convenience can come at a huge cost if you leave yourself exposed to online criminals. When joined to a public network anyone connected to the same network and is close by can listen in to what your computer is sending and receiving. If you regularly rely on Wifi whilst on the move then you may wish to consider purchasing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that will encrypt your internet traffic which will make it harder for hackers to spy on you.