Cybercrime rose sharply in 2020, as more people worked, shopped and socialised online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone can be a target, so it’s essential to be proactive when it comes to protecting your finances and identity online.

Our digital tools and technology were a welcome relief last year, allowing us to stay connected through successive lockdowns and social distancing measures. But with the sudden and rapid shift online came a nasty side effect – a bonanza for cyber criminals.

2020 saw a rise in all types of cybercrime, especially online shopping scams, phishing scams and identity theft, which rose by 55 per cent alone.

ScamWatch says hackers are even using the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of people, by posing as trustworthy institutions or individuals offering new information on outbreaks and vaccines. So far, more than six million dollars has been reported lost from COVID-19 related scams.

How to protect yourself online

Understanding the risks and being aware of your behavior online is the best defence for cybercrime. Here’s what you can do to stay safe online:

Use strong passwords

Create long passwords (14 characters +) using a phrase of at least four words. Try to include upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. For example “h0rsecupStarsho3”.

Use a password manager to store and encrypt your passwords, so that you can make them as strong as possible.

Don’t share personal information online

Never allow yourself to be pressured into giving out your personal information online to anyone you don’t know, even if they claim to be from the government or a bank.

Be aware that government and financial organisations will never send emails asking you to provide personal data, visit their site for authorisation or enter information in pop-up windows. If you’re unsure about whether the communication is legitimate, look up the vendor’s phone number for yourself and call them. Don’t call the number given in the correspondence.

Be aware of scams

Scamwatch (www.scamwatch.gov.au ) is a great resource for learning about the new scams circulating in the community, so take some time to educate yourself. Becoming more aware of scammer’s tactics will make it easier to avoid falling victim.

Turn on multi-factor authentication

Don’t be put off by the name, multi-factor authentication is one of the most effective tools we have for halting cyber criminals in their tracks, according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. It’s a really simple process that refers to using two or more ways to verify your identity. For example, a pin number or password, together with a code sent to your mobile phone.

The majority of banks, many financial and software vendors and government websites now offer multi-factor authentication, so make sure to turn it on everywhere you can.

 

Practice email etiquette

Avoid opening emails if you don’t know the sender, and, never click on the links or attachments in emails coming from an unknown source. If an email looks suspicious, read the subject line carefully and check the sender’s email address before opening it. Spam email often comes from odd looking or spoofed addresses.

Take care with social media

Social media offers a treasure trove of personal information for cyber criminals, who can find out where you live, work, visit and much more. Be aware of what you post online and set your accounts to ‘private’. Use the privacy settings to control what you share with those inside and outside of your network. Hackers can use publically available information from a variety of sources to build up a profile and impersonate you online.

Verify that websites are legitimate

Before making an online purchase, do your research. Look up the seller, read reviews and always check that the URL is legitimate. If the URL looks suspicious, don’t enter any information.

Don’t click on links in emails, chat rooms, banner ads or messages from anyone you don’t know.

Update your operating system and apps

It’s a good habit to make sure your operating systems and applications have the latest updates installed. That goes for both PCs and smartphones, which are essentially handheld computers. Software vendors regularly issue updates, because new vulnerabilities are being discovered all the time.

Install anti-virus software

Despite improvements in operating systems, it’s still considered essential to have anti-virus software installed on your PC and phone. There are reputable free versions available like Sophos and McAfee, however the premium versions have more security and safety features.

Avoid using public computers and public WiFi

Public computers, for example in airport lounges, internet cafes or hotels, can have a variety of malicious spyware programs running on them, primed to record everything you type (including your passwords).

So don’t use public devices to access your email, online banking or retailers, or in any transaction where you need to enter personal information.

The same goes for public Wi-Fi, where traffic can easily be intercepted by the network administrator or hackers. It’s best to use your own devices and your own internet connection, especially for online transactions.

Finally, make sure you keep a close eye on your account statements and look out for any unusual activity. You should also check your credit report from time to time, to make sure it’s still clear and accurate.

 

What to do if you’re a victim

If you’re the victim of a scam, contact your bank or financial provider straight away to inform them of the scam. Also report it to the platform on which you were scammed, so they can close the user’s account/s and blacklist them.

You should also report the scam to Scamwatch, who keep a database of active scams in Australia.

If you’re a victim of identity theft, contact IDCARE. It’s a free, government funded service providing expert support to help you develop a response plan to your situation.

 

Source: Money & Life