Whether we're browsing the internet, clicking onto our social media profile or perusing the digital shelves of our favourite online store, everyone wants to be as safe as possible online. But let's face it: None of us are perfect. From time to time we're all going to make mistakes and have a security slip up, but the trick is to make sure they don't happen too often. Given that 772,000 Australians have been affected by identity theft in the past 12 months to April 2014 according to new research from Veda1, it's clear that hackers are just waiting for an opportunity to strike. You don't want to give them any chance of making off with your personal details!
With that in mind, here are three of the biggest blunders you can make on the internet - and how to stay away from them.
1. Oversharing
There's no doubt about it - social media is here to stay. To put it in perspective, there were over 13,800,000 Facebook users in Australia as of February 2015, according to social media agency Vivid Social2. While it can be a useful tool to keep in touch, do business and make connections, there are many risks involved with providing large amounts of personal information in an online setting. The same is true for other forms of networking, like blogs and internet forums - wherever you share information about yourself, there are cyber criminals waiting to pounce.
Avoid giving out data like your email and postal address, phone numbers or even details of your routine. While they might seem harmless, hackers and scam artists can misuse the data to gain access to your accounts, as well as to carry out other criminal acts, like identity theft, or credit card fraud.
2. Downloading files or software from unknown source
Whether they are links in an email, or a harmless-looking ad on a web page, clicking through to an unknown site or downloading files can cause large amounts of damage. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, there were 4,443 instances of computer hacking fraud in 20143. Phishing emails or SMS messages are commonly used to draw unsuspecting victims into revealing sensitive data, such as credit card and banking numbers, or expose their computer or mobile device to malicious software.
Anti-virus software has developed in leaps and bounds to stop these scammers from gaining access to your files, but you should never make the mistake of opening something that seems suspicious or replying to an email from an unknown address.
3. Not using a firewall
Sure, you're anti-virus software might be up to date, but using a firewall gives you another level of protection. Many people assume that anti-virus programmes and firewalls are one and the same, but they are two separate services with very different purposes. Think of it as a fortress: The anti-virus software are the soldiers patrolling the outside, while the firewall is the mammoth barrier keeping the advances out. A firewall can stop most attacks before they make it through, and anti-malware programmes come into play if the defences are breached.
Remember: Even if you've got the most up-to-date system and are aware of all the dangers, online identity theft can still occur. That's where our Identity Watch services can be a big help.For about the price of just one cup of coffee a month ($3.99 or $47.88 for a yearly subscription), we carefully scour the internet to detect if your personal information is being illegally traded. If we find it, we'll let you know and give you advice on what to do next.
1 Identity Theft in Australia: The Current Problem. Veda Group. Omnibus Survey by The Leading Edge. n = 1511 Australians aged 18 . March 2015.
2 Social Media Statistics Australia – February 2015. Vivid Social Research Division.
3 Targeting scams: Report of the ACCC on scams activity 2014. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. May 2015.