Our top three tips for limiting your cyber security risks

8th July, 2019

The widespread adoption of technology has brought a wealth of convenience. At the touch of a button, we can access bank accounts online, order an online shop, transfer money and pay bills. In fact, it can sometimes feel difficult to imagine today’s world without the smartphones, laptops and tablets that we have become so accustomed to.

Thanks to ever-increasing high-levels of security and encryption, our data is likely to be protected when we’re online, but it’s important to remain vigilant as scammers can take advantage of these innovations through sophisticated means of committing data fraud.

To help you to stay safe online, here are our top three tips:

Keep your apps and devices updated - as tempting as it can be to press ‘remind me tomorrow’, regular updates are essential to ensure that you are protected against the latest known malware that can infect your device and steal your personal details.

Err on the side of caution when clicking links or downloading content from emails - cloned email accounts can make a phoney email seem legitimate, but there may be slight errors that you should check for. If the email is from a friend or colleague, is the tone of the email a little off? Is there a time limit placed on a demand, such as following a link within an hour? Is there a slight alteration to the email address? These are all red flags that the content may be malicious - if you feel uncertain, trust your gut and don’t click.

Confirm any requests to transfer money with the appropriate body - if you receive a phone call or an email asking for sensitive information such as your complete credit card details, it is likely to be fraudulent. When it comes to staying safe online, it’s better to be safe than sorry - instead of responding, call the company directly on their verified phone number to check the authenticity; they will be able to confirm if it is legitimate or not.

To find out more about how to stay safe online, take a look at the National Security Centre's website