Protect yourself online

Posted on 18 December 2018

How can you make sure you are protected from Cyber crime in your own home? This doesn’t just happen to large and small businesses because your data is also valuable to a thief. Criminals can share parts of your personal information to apply for credit cards, bank loans or even to access your money.

What can you do?

Never provide credit card details to a website that you don’t know or trust – try to use a Paypal account to provide secure payment.
Only share information on social media networks that you would be prepared to share with a total stranger.
Keep your personal information private – it is currency to a thief.
Beware of emails from businesses asking for you to click on a link to provide personal details or open attachments. You can easily check with a phone call or an email directly to that business via their website as to the legitimacy of the email.
Make sure you have strong passwords with a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
Lock your smartphone and install a password to unlock.

For more up to date advice on how to protect yourself online, visit staysmartonline.gov.au