• Get the most out of your IT with our FREE IT Audit

    We work with thousands of businesses to help them get the most from their IT in the most cost effective way

    Get In Touch
    Brick wall

10 Smart tips to stay safe online

10 Smart tips to stay safe online

Choose a secure password

When creating a password, make sure your password is at least 8 characters long. Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase characters and at least one number as a minimum. Stay safe online by avoiding easy to guess passwords like “password” as these are often the first guess for hackers. Never use the same password across multiple accounts e.g. email, bank account, social media etc.

Change passwords regularly

To make sure you are safe online, you should try to change your password every 60 days especially if you log into your accounts regularly on publicly available computers.

Keep your operating system (OS) up to date

Hardly any code is perfect and sooner or later weaknesses will be identified. Security issues are the worst possible errors, as they may be exploited by malware to access and potentially damage your system and data.

Keep your Banking Information safe

Your bank will never as you to log into your account directly from an email. Often scammers will send official looking emails from banks asking you to log in. They do this, so they can collect your details and log in themselves. This is known as phishing, if you receive an email like this ignore it. If you are unsure phone your bank to check the email is genuine.

Keep your online anti-virus software up to date

Installing anti-virus software will help reduce the risks of viruses being transferred onto your computer. Viruses or malware are commonly sent via junk email. Anti-virus software is a great first line defence in preventing this.

Never open attachments to stay safe online

If you receive an email from someone that you do not know, never open any attachments as they may contain viruses or other infections that could harm your computer. If you need to open an attachment from someone you know, scan it first with your anti-virus software.

Do not save your passwords

If you need to use a public computer to check an online account and are asked ‘do you want this computer to remember your password’ click no. By clicking yes it will save your password and keep you logged in allowing others to access your account.

Remember to log out

When you are finished using an online account, remember to log out. Some web browsers will remember that you are logged in and open your online account automatically when the site is visited next. This would allow anyone to access your account(s)

Have a second email account

Use a different email account from your personal/work one when entering competitions and signing up to newsletters. This will limit this will limit the amount of spam that your personal/work email account will receive.

Update your web browser

Often security updates are introduced to the latest web browsers preventing malicious attacks on your accounts. Google Chrome is often thought as one of the most secure and fastest web browsers around.

For more tips and advice, visit Smart Computers  Smart Support page. Offering online IT support, IT Security Audits, Disaster Recovery solutions and more.