Be Safe Online
There are many hackers/scammers around who try to gain personal data, please find a list of measures to keep your online security safe and secure below.
Steps you can take to protect your identity:
- Check your bank statements regularly for any unusual payments
- Check your credit report regularly
- Never give out personal details over the phone unless you’re sure who you’re speaking to
- Use strong passwords utilising a mix of character types and change them regularly
- A good way to create a strong and memorable password is to use three random words and symbols
- Be creative and use words memorable to you, so that people can’t guess your password
- Never use the following personal details for your password: Current partner’s name, Child’s name, Other family members’ name, Pet’s name, Place of birth, Favourite holiday, Something related to your favourite sports team
- Use different passwords on every site, a password manager can help you do this
- Keep up with system and software security updates
- Enable a firewall
- Adjust your browsers’ privacy settings
- Install antivirus and anti-spyware software
- Always scan software you download with anti-virus software before installing it
- Password protect your software and lock your device
- Encrypt your data
- Do not install software unless you trust the website you are downloading from
- Do not install browser add-ons unless you really need them
- Do not immediately trust people you meet online
- Be wary of unsolicited emails and don’t click on links they contain
- Never provide your password to anyone on the telephone, reputable companies would never ask for it, or ask you to visit a website to enter it
- Be very wary of anyone on the phone who wants to connect to your computer and install software, even if they claim to be from Microsoft or your broadband company
- If you think you have been a victim of fraud you should report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and internet crime reporting centre, on 0300 123 2040