Seniors
Simple steps to protect your personal information and life savings.
Do You Go Online To Stay In Touch With Loved Ones?
Or do you shop and bank online? Or maybe you use your email or phone number on websites?
If You Do Any of These Things, Then You’re At Risk of Being A Victim of Online Fraud and Theft.
Cybercriminals will impersonate government agencies and companies such as banks or utility companies. Their goal is to scam you into paying money or sharing your personal information.
For instance, they may ask you to pay an up-front fee before a larger rebate can be transferred to you. They may even tell you that you have an outstanding debt or that there are problems with your government benefits, immigration papers or visa status and may threaten you if you don’t pay.
Know the signs and what to do. Be cyber savvy and follow these simple steps to stay secure online.
For more information on common scams in Australia, visit National Anti-Scam Centre - Scamwatch.
5 Tips To Stay Cyber Secure
1. Update Your Devices
- Make sure your smartphone, computer or tablet is up to date. This will help safeguard you from current cyber attacks.
- Whether your device is Apple or Android, or your computer runs macOS or Microsoft Windows, check if you’ve got the latest software. You can even turn on automatic updates to give you peace of mind.
- Learn more about updating devices
2. Turn On Multi-factor Authentification
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes it harder for cybercriminals to access your accounts.
- MFA means you need two or more pieces of information to login. For example, logging into a website with your password then using a code sent to your phone.
- Learn more about turning on MFA
3. Set Up and Perform Regular Backups
- A backup is a digital copy of your information. It means if you lose your device, or if it’s stolen or damaged, you can restore your files and settings.
- Don’t risk losing your cherished photos and documents. You should back up often or, even better, set up automatic backups.
- Learn more about backups
4. Setup Secure Passphrases
- A passphrase is a more secure version of a password. They are made up of four or more random words. For example, “purple duck potato boat”. Passphrases are easy for you to remember, but hard for cybercriminals to guess.
- When creating a passphrase, make it:
- long (at least 14 characters in length)
- unpredictable (a mix of four or more unrelated words)
- unique (use a different passphrase for each of your accounts).
- Learn how to create a strong passphrase
5. Recognise and Report Scams
- Scams are a common way that cybercriminals can access your accounts and money. They will often pretend to be a person or organisation you know.
- For example, you might receive an email that says you’ve won a prize. Or a message pops up saying your computer has a virus. Scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to spot. If you have any doubts about whether a message is genuine, first check it is a scam by following the steps highlighted in the link below, then report it straight away.
- Learn more about scams