Just not interested

I came across a recent article which really made me sit back and wonder why is it that individuals know about the dangers of cybercrime and the types of scams to look out for, yet they do not do anything to prevent it?

The Business Tech article speaks about newly formulated statistics conducted with over 1000 south African internet users and the results are far from reassuring.

It is no use having the knowledge, visibility and resources if you are not going to action it.

One of my biggest worries when looking at stats like this is that there are some of you who are taking all your knowledge, putting it into practice and because there are those who are not doing the same, you could be at risk. Should they be a friend, colleague or supplier.

Third party risk is a big deal and often you can be unaware that those you deal with do not have the right security in place. It has become the norm to have third party vendors at the core of your business, this would mean that they have access to your confidential and sensitive personal and business information. Should they fall victim to a cyber-attack, your information and data will be part of that breach.

When last did you do a review of the security practices and policies of your trusted suppliers?

Do you know who you are working with?

Do you know what information they have access to and how is this monitored?

Doing this review is important and may even lead to you having to choose a new supplier or partner if they are not willing to do things securely. This exercise will save you time and money in the long run.

Another worry of mine is around PASSWORDS. This comes up way too often and is easily avoidable.

Using the same password for all your accounts is just asking for trouble. This is the main reason that multiple platforms get breached. If the hacker gets their hands on your password, they will try it on all your profiles from social media to internet banking.

What compounds the problem is that these passwords are not changed regularly and there is no two-factor authentication.

You need to change passwords regularly because if you have the same password for everything and you never change it, that leaves so much room for hackers to take advantage and keep coming back for new information. Two-factor authentication is there for this exact reason that if your account login gets compromised, there is another layer stopping the attack.

You have the tools, resources and knowledge to make sure you are safe online, don’t let yourself fall victim, especially due to negligence.

If you are unsure of where to begin, contact J2 Software, we will help make your workplace and home life secure and give you the knowledge to keep it that way.

In an ever-changing cyber world, knowledge is power and action is key.

Let’s get real.

Olivia-Hannah Coetzee