Cyber
Many of us spend a huge amount of time online. The internet makes our lives easier, but also provides a rich hunting ground for criminals who want to steal our money and personal details. This page outlines the protective measures everyone should take to reduce the risk of online fraud.
As the threat from cyber crime continues to grow and evolve, it’s important to remember one thing - most of it can be prevented. By following just a few quick and simple steps, you can make it harder for cyber criminals to get into your devices and online accounts.
Protective measures you can take
- 1
Make yourself a harder target
You can’t stop a criminal attempting to defraud you online, but you can make yourself a harder target. Taking these steps to protect your devices and data will make you more secure whenever you’re online – whether banking, browsing, shopping, dating, gaming or sharing on social media.
- 2
Improve your password security
How to create strong, secure and unique passwords and keep them safe from fraudsters. Here are 3 top tips for improving your password security.
- Create strong passwords using ‘3 random words’
- Use a password manager to keep track of your passwords
- Change default passwords and PINs on smart devices (for example 0000)
- 3
Turn on 2-step verification (2SV)
How to turn on 2SV:
- 2SV can usually be turned on from the account security settings. On some devices it might be called two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out the help and support section of the account provider’s official website, which should provide detailed instructions.
- 4
Keep your software and apps up to date
Cyber criminals exploit weaknesses in software and apps to access your sensitive personal data, but providers are continually working to keep you secure by releasing regular updates. These updates fix weaknesses, so criminals can't access your data. Using the latest versions of software, apps and operating system on your phone, tablet, or smart device can immediately improve your security.
Remember to update regularly, or set your phone, tablet or smart device to automatically update so you don’t have to think about it.
For information about how to enable automatic updates, please visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home#section_5
- 5
Use antivirus software
Use antivirus software on computers and laptops, and keep them updated.
- 6
Stay safe on social media
Ensure you don’t share more than you should on social media.
- 7
Turn on backups
If your phone, tablet or laptop is hacked, your sensitive personal data could be lost, damaged or stolen. Make sure you keep a copy of all your important information by backing it up. You can choose to back up all your data or only information that is important to you.
- 8
Enable security features on personal devices
Check which security features you should have switched on.