Protect against Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks, like email hacks, computer viruses and misuse of credit card details are getting more and more common. Research shows that 8 in 10 New Zealanders have experienced a cyber attack of some kind. By taking the following steps you could stop hackers getting through and reduce the impact if any do sneak through.

1. Update your software – regular updates guards against the latest hacks and bugs. So next time you see an update notification, click “yes”

2. Be wary of phishing – banks, IRD and Trade Me and similar sites will never ask for your password. Don’t click on links in emails to log in to ‘your account’,  if it’s a scam you will just have given away your username and password. Instead, always type in the address in the address bar and then log in.

3. Find your weak points – look at your systems with a critical eye and ask yourself if you’re making it easy for an unauthorised person to gain access. Avoid using the same passwords for multiple systems. Make sure staff have individual logins when possible. And change your passwords regularly.

4. Introduce processes – this could be specific times to make batch payments or deposit money and a designated password holder for a specific system. This will make it easy to spot suspect transactions.