We are very diligent to protect our homes and cars with locks, security alarms, CCTV, insurance, etc.

But we aren’t as diligent with our online information.

Stolen information can be far more devastating financially and emotionally.

Recent surveys in Australia disclosed among many discrepancies that 65% of people don’t read Privacy policies, 50% don’t clear browsing history, 50% don’t shred documents, and 43% don’t adjust privacy settings.

It is essential for business owners and individuals to take our online security more seriously.

The threat is real.

Small businesses and individuals are unfortunately becoming very ‘popular’ with cybercriminals, who will take the path of least resistance.

In 2018, 60% of cyber-attacks in Australia targeted small businesses and individuals (up from 43% in 2017).

The following tips can take to help you improve the protection of your business and/or personal information. A combination of healthy online habits and commercially available security packages are a good defence.

The most dangerous thing you can do, is nothing.

Healthy Habits:

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) suggests simple habits will go a long way.

• We all know we should have strong passwords for individual private accounts, but we sometimes underestimate the importance of this one. Make sure they’re complex, unrelated to personal details (like birthdays and address) and different per account.
• Add an additional layer of security such as two-factor authentication.
• If you’re struggling to remember your passwords because of the variety and complexity, consider a reputable password manager like LastPass.
• Always hover on a link before you click – if the link comes from a different site to what it claims, don’t click.
• Always do your software updates on all your devices
• Avoid accessing any private accounts from public Wi-Fi.

Security packages:

A recent article by In the Black magazine quoted an increase of malware threats by 100 million between 2018 and 2019. They also reported the top 20 security packages available in 2019, including free products like Avast and Windows Defender, and Bitdefender Endpoint Security.

Advocating robust security habits and utlisiing security packages is a step in the right direction to making it harder for cybercriminals to steal your information and identities.

One of our clients, Privacy Proactive works in this space. If you are interested to seek professional advice in managing your businesses personal information, please click here.