We’ll answer some questions about cyber security and provide you with some tips to detect and protect yourselves against online threats.
Q: Can regular, non-expert, computer users be trained to handle cyber threats?
A: Anyone can be trained to spot the basic of online threats – be it fake emails or fake IT support phone calls. Even the experts get one put past them from time to time and this is not their fault. Cyber criminals usually play the ‘mouse’ whilst the general public are left chasing the mouse. In other words cyber criminals are usually one-step ahead – today it’ll be a fake phishing email originating from your so-called ‘bank’ or ‘energy supplier’, tomorrow it could be something far worse which will go undetected, even by the experts. It’s easy to be trained to spot the tell-tale signs of cyber attacks but all it takes is one wrong click from an untrained employee to cause havoc within the organisation.
Q: With regards to hardware and software, what are the best practices to take when guarding against ransomware and other online threats?
A: When WannaCry hit this year the main culprit behind the success of the attack was the unpatched operating systems on many systems which affected multiple countries across the globe, bringing some organisations to a complete standstill. In some cases a lot of legacy software operating systems don’t get the latest available security patches. Another related reason is the fact that some business operate with unlicensed, pirated software which do not get official updates from operating systems leaving them wide open to the latest threats and vulnerabilities. So essentially for software it should be made compulsory to check for updates on a daily basis to keep all of your software up to date and patched. Hardware should follow suit, ensure that all hardware is renewed from time to time under warranty and IT support. The more layers of security the better. Lastly, expect the worse – the importance of a disaster recovery plan is second to none, without one is leaving your business in a position where it may shut down for lengthy periods of time due to damages caused by any cyber attack or a ‘disaster’. IntelliTeK offers customised disaster recovery plans for any business size, get in touch with us now.
Q: Any tips on passwords and login details?
A: Since your password is essential your first line of defence, the password must not be a word in the dictionary – simply to avoid cyber criminals using an auto-hack tool. The addition of a character or number significantly increases the strength of your password but we recommend using phrases. Why? Because mixed with characters and numbers means it should be much harder to guess. A phrase like ‘takethedogforawalk’ can be further strengthened by adding characters and numbers like ‘taketh3d0gfor@walk’ – a bit long-winded and possibly hard to remember yes, but who said online security was simple. Avoid passwords which relate to yourself such as birthdays, pets names etc.
Q: Is there any way to check if my personal information has been compromised?
A: You can try this online tool to see if your email address has been breached and if any of your data is for sale on the dark web. Aside from that monitor any account activity and stay vigilant. You can monitor account activity with most online apps these days including Facebook, Gmail and some banking apps. If you notice anything strange (like you’ve logged on from another country etc) then you should immediately change your passwords on both your login credentials and your email account.
About IntelliTeK Pty Ltd
IntelliTeK is a managed IT services company in Sydney, Australia. With major vendor relationships and accreditation’s from the worlds leading IT companies including WatchGuard, Microsoft, Trend Micro and Amazon Web Services, IntelliTeK have kept clients happy since 2007.
IntelliTeK are always up to date with the latest cloud backup solutions which is why we only partner with the best in the industry. If your company isn’t fully equipped to fend off cyber criminals, then get in touch with us so we can discuss your options. Call us on 1300 768 779, email us at info@intellitek.com.au, fill out the web form, or have a Live Chat with us below.