Crypto and Cyber Security - Be Protected Online

By Michael Baird
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25 Jan, 2019
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Working with our clients over the past twelve months we’ve seen a massive increase in cyber-attacks on our customers. Sadly, most of these attacks could have been averted. In regional NSW alone, over the last couple of months, we’ve witnessed a massive spike in credit card fraud, and business owners entirely locked out of their company records, some with over eight years’ worth of data lost. With an increase in technology, comes an increase in risk. As a business owner, it’s imperative you spend time and money investing against crypto- and cybersecurity risks. You have a duty of care to protect not only your confidential information but that of your customers. Credit card fraud, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrime are more prevalent than you might think. In fact, cybercrime happens daily, and it’s essential you know how to protect yourself against it. We’ve put together a simple guideline to help you stay safe online.

What is Cybercrime?

Cybercrime is essentially any form of crime that occurs online. Criminals will target networks as well as specific devices and invade privacy, commit identity theft, and more. Common forms of cybercrime include cyberstalking, various forms of harassment, exploitation, and more. Luckily, there are several things you can do to keep yourself safely out of reach of cybercriminals.

Conduct an I.T. Audit / Risk Assessment

Too often, small businesses grow organically over the years. Therefore, the previous way of doing business yesterday… isn’t the best way for today! Annually you should do a RISK Analysis and review your I.T. Infrastructure, systems and processes. Has something changed that has opened a back door into your business? Have you accidentally stored confidential information and credit card details where they shouldn’t be and or forgotten to delete them? Have you checked the expiration date on anti-virus software? One mistake we commonly see business owners make is a blasé and a “She’ll be right” approach to software licenses. You need to track the expiry dates if your running standalone PCs or BYOD devices. Don’t think it’s a cheaper alternative to scrimp on hardware and software systems. What you pay for is what you get. Consider if your information was compromised what would be the impact in running your business, not to mention the stress levels managing the problem. The brand damage is irreparable when it gets into the public domain and lasts far longer than the actual incident!

Strong Passwords

We know it can be hard to remember all kinds of different and complex passwords, but it’s important. Making your passwords complex and using at least ten characters made up of letters, numbers, and symbols will help you keep your information safe. A few weeks ago, we had a client who had set an easy to remember password. A cybercriminal using their log in details was able to guess their password and enter that companies internal email network. They were then able to send an email and invoice requesting urgent payment, direct to the client. We also recommend using different passwords for different uses— don’t reuse the same password again and again.

Manage Social Media

Double check your social media settings to ensure only the people you want to see your personal information can. Checking this on a regular basis is beneficial because your settings can reset or change during software updates. The less you share with the public, the safer you will be online.

Talk to the Kids

Ensuring your children are responsible and safe on the internet is important. Let them know they need to come to you if there are any instances of harassment, stalking, or bullying, or any suspicious activity. Outline what these kinds of behaviours look like in an online setting. Identity thieves often target children as they don’t have the necessary life experiences, so limit how much information your children share about themselves, or what you share about them.

Don’t Click the Links

Online criminals will often pose as your bank or credit card company and request information. Do not click the links in any emails you’re not 100% confident about, and never provide private information via email. Otherwise, you could fall victim to credit card fraud or identity theft. A month ago, we saw an entire wedding party group who was staying in a resort in Australia, have all their credit card details accessed from overseas with eight-week holidays to Bali booked against their personal cards. If your bank or credit card company has an issue with your information, they will be in touch with you in a different way — such an organisation will never request sensitive information in an email.

Be Careful With Your Credit Card Online

Only enter your credit card details into secure websites. Double check the URL to ensure these websites start with ‘https://’ and are 100% legitimate (without spelling errors or grammatical issues in the URL bar). To further complicate issues …mobile phone purchases and banking has now exceeded PCs. Therefore, policing and checking URL’s is even harder, as the screen size is smaller and you're usually in a hurry. We’re seeing cyber criminals build websites that emulate trusted brand names, however, in the URL, they include a tiny spelling mistake to redirect your private information. At first sight, this is almost impossible to pick up. If you are unsure about a website, it’s always better to err on the side of caution, you can purchase AV software that will run on mobile phones, such as Trend Micro, however, always do some research before entering your credit card details. If you suspect a site don’t make a purchase.