Cybercrime prevention advice
Never adjust settings on your computer or device unless you know how to undo them!
Any adjustments you make are your own responsibility.
If you have been hacked or are worried about being hacked, there are measures you can take to help minimise the risk so you can enjoy your online experience.
Use secure passwords
Change regularly; don't share or use the following
- Sequential letters and numbers such as aaaa, 0000, abcd1234 or qwerty which are the first 5 letters of an English Windows keyboard
- Your name or that of anyone else
- A place name
- Your date of birth
- Telephone numbers
- Social security numbers
- Car registration numbers
- Words
- Short passwords
- Anything that can be easily guessed!
What to use:
A strong password with a combination of upper and lower case letters as well as numbers and special characters such as ? ! @ $ _ - * & ^ { } etc. The longer and more complicated the better!
Ensure all passwords are changed regularly, especially if you think someone may have compromised one or more of your accounts.
Passwords list
- Email passwords
- Router passwords
- Computer / device login passwords
- Bank Accounts
- Other online accounts, especially if linked to a credit or debit card
- In a nutshell... anything you use a password for!
Consider using a password generator
The LastPass password generator can be accessed by following the link below. It may save you time and help you. Select 'All characters' for extra security, although some applications may reject certain characters.
LastPass
Antivirus & Firewalls
Always use premium antivirus software from a reputable company.
Ideally, you need software that will guard your devices against all online threats, such as viruses, malware, trojans, worms, ransomware, zero-day exploits, rootkits, spyware, and phishing attacks.
Ensure your software is kept up-to-date; good premium software should update virus definitions automatically, and ensure you renew any subscriptions before expiry.
There is a whole host of really good software available you will find by browsing the web.
Software & Windows Updates
Updates often include security vulnerabilities.
Ensure you have the latest updates at all times.
Where possible, set updates to be downloaded and installed automatically. In the unlikely event of an issue, you can use System Restore to roll back.
Browsers should also be updated to the latest versions.
Clear your clipboard
If you copy and paste anything, including a password, it will remain on your clipboard unless you copy and paste something else, which will also remain on your clipboard unless you remove it, have an app that will remove it automatically, or restart your computer or device!
Extra measures you may want to consider
- Use detection and prevention services from reputable companies; however, these may only be viable for business use
- Turn off routers overnight / weekends if not in use
- Turn off devices overnight / weekends if not in use
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to help hide your online identity
- Don't share any sensitive information
- ALWAYS log out of online accounts when you have finished your session
Posted by Mary
Post No. 7 - 14/11/2024
