Scams, hacks, and cybercrime: How to stay safe online
Cybercrime is a type of criminal activity that uses computers, computer software, or networks to target victims.
The first mistake people make when they think of cybercrime is underestimating the culprits. If you’re picturing a 15-year-old hacker sitting in a dark basement, don’t. Cybercrime is a lucrative industry, with highly organised and experienced individuals and organisations at its core.
Some common examples of cybercrime are:
- Financial fraud or theft
- Email and internet fraud
- Theft and sale of data
- Selling illegal items online
- Cyberextortion (demanding money to prevent an attack)
How common is it?
The number of cybercrime related attacks increased by 31% between 2020 and 2021. It is reported that within this timeframe, Australians lost $33 billion as a result of these crimes.
The issue of cybercrime is evidently growing in Australia, and with the recent breaches at Optus, Medibank and Woolworths, it is vital that we know how to best protect our information and data against cyber criminals.
Tips for better security
There are a number of easy changes we can make to improve our cyber security and to ensure our data is well protected.
- Make sure your software is up-to-date
You might notice when you update your phone or computer operating system, there’s often a list of patches and bugs that will be fixed. These patches and bug-fixes will help protect your data and information in case of an attack.
- Use strong passwords
Not the name of your firstborn child, or your pet cat. A strong password is one that may not be easily guessed, and uses a combination of upper and lower-case, special characters and numbers. There are also some clever apps and tools on the market which can generate and store unique passwords (such as LastPass, and Apple Wallet Keychain), just be sure to check any reviews to ensure it is a reputable service.
- Never open links or attachments from unknown sources
If you don’t recognise a sender (or if there’s something fishy about an email), do not open any links or attachments. This is an easy way for cyber criminals to get malware and vicious software onto your computer, which puts your data and information at risk.
If you receive an email from a bank, health insurer, your boss, postal service or couriers, or even your internet service provider or telco, make sure the email address and information associated with the email are credible and recognisable. If you have any suspicions, contact the sender and check the credibility of the message.
- Do not give out any personal information
Credible institutions will never request that you confirm your personal information via email. If you receive an email or text message asking for personal information or sensitive data, contact the institution directly by phone and query the request.
You would have recently received an email from the Gilkison team providing you with a new email address to use for all correspondence. This is all part of us ensuring that your information and data is safe and well-protected by moving away from a centralised mailbox to a more secure system.
In case you missed the email, here are the details to get in touch with your servicing team.
Chris Taylor – adviser.chris@gilkisongroup.com
Dean Gilkison – adviser.dean@gilkisongroup.com
Brett Surman – adviser.brett@gilkisongroup.com
Tahni Davison – adviser.tahni@gilkisongroup.com