When you think about digital technology and the internet, it’s probably safe to say that you use it on a daily basis to communicate with others and search for information – on both a personal and work-related level – often across multiple devices (e.g. desktop computers and mobile devices, such as smartphones, laptops and tablets).
Unfortunately, cybercriminals may attempt to obtain your personal information for financial gain using methods such as phishing and hacking.
For example, according to the most recent information from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch, of the $72.8 million that has been lost in 2017 to people that have fallen victim to scams, $2.7 million of this has been attributed to attempts to gain personal information.
Consequently, when using digital technology and the internet, it’s important to keep your personal information secure and be alert to potential instances where someone may seek to obtain this from you.
Please see below for helpful information regarding phishing, browsers, mobile device security and passwords.
Phishing (e.g. email and messaging)
Phishing is a type of attack that cybercriminals use to trick you into giving out personal information, such as your passwords and bank account/debit card/credit card numbers.
It works by a cybercriminal sending you an email or message (via text message or a social media platform) that attempts to trick you into:
You can help protect your personal information by being alert to common signs of a potential phishing attempt. For example, the email or message:
In addition to the above:
Please note: Cybercriminals can also create emails that appear to be from a friend, family member or co-worker. As such, if you receive an email from someone you know, but the tone or the message in general just doesn’t feel right, consider calling them to verify they sent it.
Browsers
When you think about it, browsers are one of the main ways that we interact with the internet. For example, when you search for information online, you are using a browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari). For this reason, browsers are often a target for cybercriminals when it comes to attempts to obtain your personal information.
Here are several helpful tips to protect your personal information when using a browser:
Mobile device security
Your mobile devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets) can store a considerable amount of personal information. As such, it’s important to protect them.
Here are several helpful tips to protect your personal information when it comes to mobile devices:
Passwords
The passwords that you use to log in to your devices, as well as certain apps and websites, help protect your personal information. As such, when it comes to creating strong passwords, try to avoid the following:
Alternatively, consider using passphrases as your passwords; however, preferably not something used in every-day speech (e.g. between a rock and a hard place) as this can make your password less secure. An example of a passphrase could be the stringing together of several random words, “objectives retirement goals comfortable”. To further enhance the strength of a passphrase consider adding the following:
Please note: To help increase the protection of your personal information, many online accounts now offer ‘two-step verification’ or ‘two-factor authentication’. This is where you need more than just your password to log in to your account, such as codes sent to your smartphone.
In addition to creating strong passwords, it’s important to be careful how you use them. For example, use a different, unique password for each device and online account (e.g. email, social media platform and website) that you hold. And, if you are struggling to remember all of your passwords consider the option of having a password manager. This special program securely stores all of your passwords. As such, you only need to remember one password – the password to your password manager.
Lastly, consider changing your passwords if you believe they have been compromised or stolen.
Moving forward
Although this is not a complete list of tips to help protect your personal information, it does serve to highlight the importance of understanding that cybercriminals are vigilant, across multiple avenues. As such, by taking precautions, you can help ensure that your personal information remains safe and subsequently is not obtained by others wishing to use it for financial gain.
To end on a light note, we leave you with a funny look at what happened when James Veitch, a British comedian, replied to a spam email. Watch it here.