Essex Police’s top tips for staying safe online
Gavin Saunders works for Essex Police as a Cyber Prevent & Protect Officer. As part of National Computer Security Day, he shares his top tips for keeping safe in the digital world.
There are two sides to my role here at Essex Police – prevention and protection. For prevention, we focus on how we can divert cyber criminals away from the bad path they’ve chosen. If we can stop someone from being a hacker, we can avoid harm to an individual or business.
The protection side of the role involves working with individuals, local communities and businesses of all sizes, to educate them on cyber security and how to keep themselves safe online.
Smartphones, tablets, laptops and the internet are such fundamental parts of modern life – we use them for social media, online banking, shopping, and much more. It’s important to take steps that stops cyber criminals getting hold of our details, data and devices.
Top tips for staying secure online
Here at Essex Police, we’ve put together our five top tips to help you to stay secure online. These small changes can make a big difference and keep your devices protected from cyber criminals.
1. Strong passwords
Simple passwords can be easily guessed by online criminals. Avoid using words that are personal to you, such as family names, pet names, or your favourite sports team. Choose a separate password for your email account to keep it secure.
To create a strong password, we’d recommend choosing three random words and then adding numbers and characters.
2. Software & app updates
Always update your software and applications as soon as your device prompts you to. Software is never perfect, often containing vulnerable areas that criminals can target. When these are identified, the manufacturer will update the software to remove the problem.
3. Backups
It’s important to make regular copies of the things that are important to you to keep them safe. Make copies both online (via the cloud) and offline (hard drives and thumb drives) to protect your details and data. Offline copies will ensure your data is protected even if the online server is compromised.
4. Phishing
If you receive an email or text message containing a link or an attachment, stop and think before opening it. If you don’t recognise the sender or if something doesn’t look right, it’s best to ignore it. Don’t click on links unless you are certain of where they came from.
5. Social media
Be careful with what you share online. You wouldn’t take out an advert to say you’re on holiday and your house is empty, so don’t tell the world on social media. Make sure your privacy settings are set to a high level.
Reporting a cybercrime
If you suspect you’ve been the victim of a cybercrime, it’s important to report it as soon as possible.
To do this, visit the Action Fraud website – the national site for reporting fraud and cybercrime. If you call your local police station or 999, they’ll direct you straight to this site, so save time by going online and following the steps there first. Even if the crime did not happen to you, you can fill out a form on someone’s behalf, as a witness or for a business.
Protecting your community
Once you’ve taken steps to protect yourself from cybercrime, you can help others in your local community stay safe by passing on these tips. We always say, once you have learnt the information yourself, teach it to two other people so they can keep themselves safe online too.
Find out more about cyber security at the National Cyber Security Centre or by visiting Action Fraud.
If you’d like Essex Police’s Cyber Prevent & Protect team to speak to your community, school or business about cyber security and online safety, send them an email.