Cyber criminals don’t take holidays. This can leave you and your company at greater risk around the holiday period as there is a more relaxed atmosphere and many companies shut down completely. With employees taking well deserved breaks, there is no one to monitor what is happening with your systems making it the perfect time for cyber criminals to strike. It is incredibly important that cyber security best practices are still adopted throughout this period to prevent successful attacks occurring.
We have put together some handy tips and tricks, for both businesses and individuals to help you keep cyber safe around the holiday period! Check them out below!
For Businesses
1. Ensure employees use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible.
Using strong and unique passwords are important to prevent cyber criminals accessing accounts that store sensitive and confidential information. Creating complex passwords that are at least 12 characters long and contain a random mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols is a great way at securing accounts. An example could be: “Sa1NtN!cH0la5*”. However, another approach is to use three random words strung together – without special characters this can be easier to remember. Making it 14 characters or longer means it is harder to crack. An example could be: “SnowBearStocking”. These words are not typically related or associated with one another and so makes it harder for a hacker to guess your password – the more random, the better!
To protect accounts further, setting up MFA can prevent access if passwords are hacked, creating an extra layer of security. This can include biometrics (fingerprints, face ID) or an authenticator app which generates a code to enter before access can be granted. Especially when we are not in the office, we get to see when unauthorised users are trying to log into our systems. The idea is that a cybercriminal is unlikely to have access to these extra categories of information and so your account is protected. If you get an unexpected text message showing you have attempted to access your systems, then you know attackers are trying to get in. You wouldn’t want people unwrapping your gifts and seeing what’s inside them, likewise, you shouldn’t want people to access your phone or laptop either.
2. Keep software and apps on laptops, computers and mobile phones up to date.
Laptops, computers and phones contain data, which can leave them a desirable target for cyber criminals. Ensuring that operating systems and applications are up to date can provide devices with greater protection than leaving them on old operating systems. Many system updates provide security updates to keep on top of constantly evolving cyber threats. Switching on auto-updates can ensure that devices within your company are consistently updated to the most recent operating system and have the greatest level of protection against cyber threats.
Start off the new year with a resolution to patch your systems at least once a month.
3. Ensure employees are educated on cyber security.
Maintaining education for employees on cyber security is imperative. This should be maintained throughout the year, but it could be beneficial to complete some refresher training on the run up to the holidays. This ensures that any new trends can be discussed and that all within the company are up to date on best practices to maintain company and personal data safe from the threats of cyber criminals.
To make educating employees more fun, why not check out our cyber security awareness training? You’ll assist the detective with solving a cyber-crime – a bit of fun, extremely educational and great for assistance with refreshing a company on cyber security best practices!
For Individuals
1. Check domain spellings.
When shopping for Christmas or in the new year sales always check the URL when going on websites. Cyber criminals can be sneaky and could slightly alter an address, which may look ordinary upon a quick glance but could take you to a completely different site. Ensure that you double check the spelling to check it is spelt correctly and is the right website for you.
2. Be on the lookout for phishing scams.
Last year, 1.35 million phishing scams worldwide were discovered in the run up to Christmas and so it is likely to see a repeat this year too. Phishing scams can be sent to you via email or text so remaining vigilant is imperative to preserve your data. Cyber criminals are likely to target online shoppers around the holidays as you are getting your last-minute presents and stocking fillers. One way in which they can do this, is by sending out false parcel tracking information. Once a link is clicked, they may ask for banking information to pay extra shipping charges – which will result in an easy pay day for a cyber-criminal.
You should check for spelling and grammar errors in the content, which could indicate that it is a phishing scam. We also recommend that you hover over any links before clicking to reveal their true destinations, if the link looks unfamiliar, do not click on it.
If you’re unsure, it is best not to click on any links and research whether it is a scam or not. To report phishing scams, you can forward emails here: report@phishing.gov.uk.
Or forward texts to this number: 7726. These are links to the UKs national cyber security centre who will investigate patterns and use this information to stop attacks wherever they can.
3. If something looks too good to be true – take a step back before continuing.
As the big day approaches, many will feel the stresses of gathering the best presents they can for their loved ones, while trying not to break the bank – something cyber criminals will use to their advantage. They will often provide heavily discounted products or last-minute deals that look great but don’t ever get sent to you. The cyber criminals will be thanking you for the present you’ve gift wrapped to them – your banking details, allowing them to make fraudulent transactions at your expense.
Seen an offer online that’s promising the world? Whether that is a large sum of money off the latest gadgets or a competition on social media offering winners large number of prizes. Take a step back and think about whether it is real or not.
Remember to remain vigilant throughout the holiday period and keep in mind these tips and tricks! If you need any extra advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!