Novus Blog
Safer Internet Day: Advice to keep you safe online
Tuesday 9th February is “Safer Internet Day” – a day that raises awareness of the issues surrounding internet safety and making the internet a better place for all, especially children and young adults. To help towards this goal, our IT Infrastructure Manager Mark Davies has shared this helpful advice for keeping you and your families safe online.
Have a strong password
Weak passwords are one of the most common ways your online accounts become compromised. It’s pretty astonishing that in 2020, “123456” and “password” still rank in the top 5 most commonly used passwords.
So, always use a strong unique password for each service you access.
If you struggle to remember passwords, you could look into a password manager such as Keepass, that can be used to store and generate strong passwords.
However, it is critical that you have strong memorable password to any password manager or else all of your accounts are potentially at risk.
Install Updates
Another simple but commonly overlooked one – always make sure all updates have been installed on your device and restart if it’s before using the internet.
Updates often contain patches that fix potential weaknesses found in security.
Be extra careful with Social Media
I would recommend that you monitor your social media privacy settings.
Check to see who can see your posts, personal details, images etc. and limit this down as far as possible. Always think before posting especially personal information, as once it’s out there, you cannot get it back even if you delete the post.
It is amazing how much valuable information a hacker can glean from your social media page.
Also, be cautious with who you talk to and what information you share them online. People are not always who they say they are.
Think before you click
Links in emails and on websites can be misleading, so ask yourself, “does this look right?” before clicking links.
If not, do not click it.
If something looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Don’t be tempted into clicking links or entering personal details for bargains that will never materialise.
This also applies to mobile phone texts that pose as well-known businesses, but in reality they are just trying to obtain your personal details and/or account credentials.
These scams are becoming increasingly common.
Cover your webcam
Webcams are hackable and someone might actually be watching you right now without your knowledge.
A scary thought. So I would recommend covering up your webcam when it is not in use. This will prevent any potential unwanted parties from viewing through your camera even if they are able to gain access to it.
Use Two Factor Authentication where possible
Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which means you have to provide two different authentication factors e.g., a password and passcode to verify yourself.
This should be enabled at every opportunity as it provides an extra layer of security to your accounts.
Therefore, if (for example) your password becomes compromised, there is an additional step keeping your account secure.
Backup often
Perform regular backups of all your information and don’t leave backup devices connected as they could become encrypted by ransomware if they are infected.
Make sure you have Anti-Virus software
Last but definitely not least is a very quick win – make sure you have anti-virus software installed, it is working properly and is up-to-date.
Stay safe out there
We hope that Mark has given you food for thought and provided you with some helpful tips to keep you safe online.
How Novus can help you secure SHDF Wave 3 funding
We launched Sustain in 2021, which offers an end-to-end, fully PAS 2035 compliant whole-house retrofit service from our dedicated team of experts. The service is designed to enable social housing landlords to meet the Government’s target for all social housing to achieve an EPC rating of C and above by 2030.