Christmas is right around the corner and hackers are getting prepared to steal it from you. We have collected the most important tips you need to do before going on your Christmas break so you can enjoy this time to relax, knowing your business is safe.
5 tips to stay safe this Christmas:
1. Think, don’t click.
Clicking on any link that is sent to you is reckless, especially at this time of year. Cyber criminals know that people are less guarded at this time of year so are more likely to send a Christmas e-card with malicious links that can cause significant damage to your IT systems. If it looks suspicious, it probably is.
2. Don’t give a hacker your password for Christmas.
Are you using strong passwords for all of your accounts? Have they been changed recently? Are they stored in a safe location?
A good safety guideline is that your password should; be a minimum of 12 characters, that includes a mix of numbers, symbols, lower and upper case letters. If you’re having trouble thinking of a secure passwords, use this helpful generator: XKPasswd – Secure Memorable Passwords
3. Update, Update, Update!
It’s easy to forget to update your software when you’re winding down for the holidays but your future self with thank you for it. Cyber criminals can spot vulnerabilities in your software and 70% of cyber attacks exploit these weak spots. However, if you are updating your software before you finish for Christmas, it will make you less susceptible to return to a cyber attack.
4. Is public wifi really that safe?
Who wouldn’t like to enjoy a nice coffee in a warm cafe while sending your last emails before the Christmas break? If you are doing this, please make sure you are being extra vigilant as public wifi access is a haven for; phishing attacks and malicious data breaches. It might be worth using your phone hotspot while enjoying your mince pie.
5. Back-up your data.
Back-up, back-up, back-up! We can’t stress enough the importance of backing up all of your digital assets, there would be nothing worse than coming back from a well deserved break to find that you have lost vital data and it can’t be recovered. Act proactively instead of reactionary.
It is naïve to think “It will never happen to me”, cyber attacks are all around us and can happen at any point. Make sure that you are putting the plans in place and completing these simple tips so that you can relax this Christmas!
