The pandemic and resulting lockdowns have resulted in an increase in the use of technology and a general sense of concern amongst many of us. Cyber attackers have been taking advantage of this situation making it important now more than ever to be aware and vigilant in managing online security.

Every year in Australia, scams cost businesses and the economy hundreds of millions of dollars and cause emotional harm to victims and their families¹. Since the pandemic there have been almost 11 million COVID-19 related malicious file detections worldwide² in less than a year.

How? Scammers are mimicking COVID-19 content through emails, news and websites for the purpose of stealing personal information and money with:

• Vaccination scams – including offers to mail vaccines, fake surveys related to vaccines, requesting payment for vaccines and payment of money for investment in the Pfizer vaccine
• Phishing – scammers impersonating government agencies through text messages and emails phishing for your information
• Superannuation scams – scammers taking advantage of people in financial hardship due to the pandemic offering help to access superannuation money
• Online shopping scams – scammers creating fake online stores claiming to sell face masks, cures or vaccinations for COVID-19

How can you protect yourself?

Safeguard your mobile security – When accessing work emails and information on your mobile phone, ensure your device has a pin, pattern or password. Avoid unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Be selective with social media – Be careful about what you share on social media. Information about you, your family, friends and workplace can be used to socially engineer a phishing attack or you could be ‘giving away’ customer information. Avoid quizzes like ‘800 seats in heaven, the last three digits of your phone number determines your seat’ or ‘Your birth month is what you will be doing at Christmas’. Some of these posts are not as innocent as you think.

Ensure robust password security – Be sure to use different passwords for different accounts. Passwords should be as long as possible and contain a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, symbols and be at least 12 characters long. Password managers can help so you don’t have to remember the impossible.

Monitor children’s online activity – Starting the cyber safety talk with children early is imperative as is monitoring and controlling their activity. Parental control solutions are available to track and restrict your children’s activities.

Keep your home network secure – Ensure your home network is kept secure. When finished with your computer, turn it off or disconnect from the Wi-Fi network –
especially if it’s a shared machine at home. Do not share keys or passwords with anyone (flat mate, neighbours etc). Use the computer auto-lock feature if you live in a shared house.

Be aware of what you are plugging in – Before plugging a USB memory stick or other removable media into your device, think about where it has come from. Only use encrypted media and ensure it has come from a trusted source. Viruses and malware can easily be spread this way.

Please be aware and protect yourself from attacks with increased awareness and good cyber safety practices.