Every year in October, CERT NZ, the Computer Emergency Response Team, together with the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC), businesses and organisations combine to hold “Cyber Smart Week”. This year Cyber Smart Week is from Monday 6 October to Sunday 12 October and will focus on the importance of cybersecurity, helping businesses, organisations and home users be more secure and resilient online.
During Cyber Smart Week, we’ll be posting updates, tips and tricks and general cybersecurity information to our Facebook page and to our website.
One of the aims of Cyber Smart Week is to focus us all on keeping safe online, particularly with scams becoming more sophisticated all the time. Keeping ourselves safe online is something we all need to do all the time!
Here’s some tips to help you with staying safe online:
- Regularly backup your data: Regularly backing up the data stored on your devices (computers, laptops, mobile phones etc) is one of the most important things you can do.
- Update your device regularly: Updates are not always about adding new features, they also fix bugs and other security issues in a device and/or app that attackers can use to gain access to your devices and/or data.
- Use different passwords for everything (websites, device logins etc): We know that it is easier to use the same password for everything (websites, device logins etc), however, this opens you up to risk. If an attacker gets access to that password, they will have access to all your accounts, particularly internet banking.
- Turn on Two-Factor Authentication: With two-factor authentication (2FA), you can choose to have a code sent to you or generated on your device, like your phone, that you can use to authenticate who you are every time you log in.
If you would like help and/or advice on any aspect of staying safe online, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.