There is no doubt that the internet can be hostile and malicious at times, however, being secure online doesn’t mean you need to completely turn off your internet connection.
Considering the recent cyber events, we’ve taken the time to create a quick checklist covering seven precautions you should take to stay safe when surfing the web.
- Get a secure internet connection
Remember that you have no direct control over the security of a public Wi-Fi connection. When you go online in a public area, check the security of your device first or wait until you can connect to a secure Wi-Fi network before entering sensitive information such as your bank account number.
- Choose strong passwords
Passwords are one of the most crucial yet vulnerable points regarding Internet security. The challenge with passwords is that people tend to use obvious ones (such as “password” and “123456”) that are fairly easy for cyber criminals to guess. Choose strong passwords containing capital letters, numbers and special characters – it will be more difficult for hackers to ‘crack the code”.
- Be cautious about what you download and where you click.
Being cautious about what you click is an important rule to protect your online security. Double-check an email or webpage for spelling errors and other strange elements – it can be a sign that the webpage is untrustworthy. Phishing URLs posing as safe websites can fool you into revealing your personal information, bank details or passwords. Drive-by download pages might also cause malware to download and infect your device.
- Be careful what you post online
Any comment or image you post online may stay online forever! Removing the original post does not remove any copies that other people made. There is no way for you to “take back” a comment you wish you hadn’t made, or get rid of that embarrassing picture. Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want your Mum, children or a prospective employer to see. You wouldn’t give out entirely personal information to strangers; don’t give it out to millions of people online.
And be careful who’s asking for your information!
- Use a good (up-to-date) anti-virus
Although Internet security software cannot protect you against every attack, it can detect and eliminate the majority of malware—as long as it is updated regularly. Be careful to keep up with operating system upgrades as well as program updates – they will add an important layer of security.
- Enable multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication can be tedious sometimes, but it significantly increases the security of your accounts. To get access to your profile, the cybercriminal will have to overcome an additional level of authentication, in addition to guess your login and password.
And.. most importantly
- In terms of Conveyancing… Ensure that you hire a conveyancer who puts security as their number one priority!
So, what steps are we taking to protect your data and make the conveyancing process as secure as possible for you?
We have been working with PEXA since 2015 to provide secure online-conveyancing solutions. PEXA’s world-first digital settlements have revolutionised the way we exchange property in Australia. They provide a way to quickly access the proceeds of a sale and near real-time tracking on property settlements.
In short, they provide an online, secure and fast property settlement solution.
We also use VOI services that allow you to verify yourself using your mobile phone or tablet. The Verification of Identity is a process carried out to ensure that a person is who they claim to be. The purpose of VOI is to reduce the risk of identity fraud and the registration of fraudulent land transactions.
If you follow these seven basic Internet safety guidelines, you will prevent many of the unpleasant surprises that await you online!
