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Focus Winter 2016

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4. Use anti-virus and robust firewall settings to protect your system and help prevent phishing attacks.

Make sure you keep your internet software up to date and run regular scans and system updates.

5. Don’t send personal information in emails without password protection / encryption

6. Think hard before your accepting your devices’ offers to store your passwords.

They’ll only be as safe as the device itself – if anyone can use your computer, anyone can access your
websites accounts

Don’t write a list of passwords and store it on your device. If your device is stolen, it just makes it too
easy for someone to break in and wreak havoc using your passwords

7. Use strong passwords – a minimum of 8 characters, a mix of numbers, letters, symbols and capitals.

Don’t share your passwords with anyone else

Don’t use the same password for all websites – it just makes it easy for criminals to find and
exploit them

Make sure every user in your household has their own password and that they cannot use yours

Change your password regularly

Always change the manufacturers’ default password on your devices (fitness watches, toaster, TV etc)
- they offer hackers a backdoor into your computer

8. Read websites’ Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions

They are legally binding so just merrily ticking the box is a bad idea

The Privacy Policy should tell you what the company plans to do with the personal information you
hand over – so read it before you give them your data.

9. Do NOT use public WIFI when banking, making payments or transferring private information.

There is almost always no security on public WIFI so what you do can be tracked

If you do, make sure you change your password as soon as you get home

10. Beware of watchers.

Yes, they exist. If you are online in a public place, make sure nobody is looking over your shoulder
to see what you’re doing on your device.

11. Back up your files regularly.

If you get a ransomware attack, the criminal can deny you access to all your files and data.
If you’ve got them backed up somewhere safe, that will help. Quite apart from the disaster of losing
everything because your computer’s been broken, lost or stolen.

12. Be careful what you post online.

If you must give your date of birth on Facebook, keep it private. As a minimum take off the year of your
birth if you want friends to know your birthday.

Always check your privacy settings to make sure you know what you’re sharing and with whom

Be careful which Apps you allow to access your social media sites – they also take and use your data.

12 TIPS OVER THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

1. Check all emails carefully; check links and attachments

Don’t click on suspicious links - hover your cursor over any links to see

where the address is actually going to take you
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Only open email attachments you are expecting to receive

Look out for bad spelling or bad grammar in the email – that’s a clue that it’s not
what it seems to be

Hover your cursor over the email sender’s address – make sure it is genuine

Never click links that ask you to reset your password. Enter the real web

address in your browser manually if you think you need to check.

2. Check the websites you visit are secure

Always make sure the website address starts https:\\

Always look for the padlock or unbroken key symbol next to the web address

3. Avoid copycat websites

Consider installing “Google Safe Browsing” (already included if you’re using
Firefox or Chrome) or similar toolbar to your internet browser. These run quick
checks on the sites visit, compare them known phishing sites and tell you if you
go to a known malicious site.