The fight against cybercrime goes on

In recent years, cybersecurity events have become mainstream news and the risks posed by security incidents have moved rapidly up the priority list for most organisations. Indeed, the misuse of emerging digital technologies combined with a range of cyber attack vectors have created a virtual arms race in the field of cybercrime. Perhaps that’s why cybersecurity is now considered as one of the top four business challenges for advice firms, according to the latest NextWealth Financial Advice Business Benchmark Report.

What’s more, the rise of artificial intelligence and the next generation of cyber-attacks only increases the challenge further. While the thought of countering this kind of changing threat may feel both daunting and exhausting, the simple tips that follow may help boost your security knowledge and ensure you are securing yourself, your colleagues, clients and business partners from cybercrime.

Secure access

Your password is the key to your accounts so ensuring it’s protected at all times is crucial. Make sure your passwords are long, strong and unique and use multi-factor authentication wherever possible. Strong passwords are particularly important on your primary email account which, if compromised, could leave you vulnerable to hacking and identity theft.

To help protect yourself, please check out our top five tips to creating easy to remember, hard to crack passwords.

Secure devices

If you connect a device at home, make sure you protect it. All devices need to be patched with the latest security updates and you should ensure you are using a secure Wi-Fi network. And remember, having smart gadgets in the home can come with risks as well as benefits. By making a few simple changes to your devices and accounts, you can control who has access to your data.

For help protecting digital devices, take a look at our online security in the home advice.

Secure data

The adoption of paperless processing and eSignatures has accelerated among product providers, especially with the increase in remote working. Be aware though, digital processing doesn’t mean it’s always secure. Ensure data is sent securely and use encryption when sending sensitive information. If provided, use secure portals for transferring data.

Secure your clients

As we adapt to changing technology and the enhanced capabilities it offers, we can be sure cybercriminals will continue to keep pace and be ready to exploit any newly-discovered attack vector (a pathway used by a hacker to illegally gain access to a device or server). We need to stay one step ahead. It’s really important to ‘trust but verify’ when dealing with client communications, especially when receiving instructions via email. Be certain you are dealing with the actual client and not someone impersonating them.

To familiarise yourself with the approaches criminals can use, I suggest looking at some email hacking case studies.

Secure yourself

By focusing on your own online behaviour, you can start to shift the dial in the fight against cybercrime. It’s easier than you think. When it comes to security, knowledge is your best defence and a few small changes can really make a big difference. I recommend reviewing our five key pieces of advice for staying safe online and reclaiming your digital privacy.

October is cybersecurity awareness month so now is the perfect time to implement this security advice and read up on the latest scams. It’s the very best way to help protect yourself and your clients from cybercriminals.