Register for this website here. Login to that account there. The online world which we rely on has etched itself into our daily lives, and it has gotten to a point where we can’t progress without it. But as with everything in life you can’t get too complacent, especially when it comes to living in the digital world.

Here are 5 online habits which you need to address right away:

Entertaining suspicious emails which land in your inbox everyday

Phishing emails and ransomware have been a successful tool for cyber criminals in recent years, causing losses to businesses and even Governments in the millions. So when you read emails in your inbox everyday you really need to make sure that the emails have originated from trustworthy sources and contain trustworthy content. Phishing emails have evolved into a near 100% copy of original emails and often or not to the untrained eye it has become difficult to spot.

In recent months we have seen fake emails come through, allegedly from the Australian Post, Citibank Australia and even the Federal Circuit Court Of Australia which appear to be 100% copies of original emails based on its appearance but go on to demand some sort of user action (password reset, update account details etc). This already should be a red flag and should, at all costs, NOT be actioned at all. For confirmation make it best practice to call the organisation/institute to confirm whether or not action is required from your end. If these emails land in your business/workplace inbox, it is highly advisable that you let your managed services company know about it and ensure that these emails do not get into your inboxes again.

Re-using the same passwords for every website/account

In 2017 this is considered to be a big mistake on behalf of yourself and the companies/organisations that you represent. Managed services in Australia see it all the time – one password usually is the same with other logins. This is probably the most common habit that everyone needs to give up but also the most understanding as passwords need to be remembered therefore a users choice of password would usually be something close to them leading it to be used again and again with other accounts.

We strongly advise against it and instead to use different passwords, and mix it up a bit. Adding a ‘1’ at the end also isn’t good practice. Users are advised to be creative with passwords and in some cases try to have a set of passwords which have an uppercase character, a number, and be lengthy in count so not only will it be hard to guess but when it comes to signing up for accounts which have really tight password rules, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your password – managed services number 1 heard reason for forgetting passwords is that the account that asks for uppercase, numbers and minimum length usually is the password that is forgotten by users. So make it a habit moving forward.

Press Yes or Agree to app permissions and regretting it later

So you’re looking for a new app which replaces the stock app – let’s take the SMS app as an example, you see one that you like, press install and start using it. Many people, when downloading apps to mobile phones and other devices, often mindlessly accept whatever permissions the apps request. However, you should pay attention to the requests apps are making, as some apps may be gathering more information about you than you realize, such as location information. This can have privacy implications, and also means that more of your data than you may realize could be at risk if the app was compromised. Always read the small print before agreeing to app permission requests.

Don’t hit the ‘Remind Me Later’ button too many times when prompted to update software/apps

Software/apps have updates for a reason, and one key reason is that they are patches to include the latest security updates. Not all updates are feature-based. So think twice about delaying the update and leaving your device vulnerable. Leaving vulnerabilities unpatched means you could be an easy target for cybercriminals.

No security packages on devices

Following on from the previous point regarding security, having no security applications on your devices is just asking for trouble. The most basic form of security on a device is usually the stock anti-virus protection that usually comes with the device (On Windows 10, you have Windows Defender). Managed services like IntelliTeK will provide you and/or your organisation with a far more robust security option but as standard, the stock one will do. Make sure that it is active and not disabled. Make sure that it is running the latest version (Update it regularly). Have a scheduled scan or manual scan regularly.

If you have any security concerns, whether on mobile, your PC or for your organisation, get in touch with us now to assess your IT security options. Call us on 1300 768 779, email us at info@intellitek.com.au, fill out the web form, or have a Live Chat with us below.