We share expert tips and the inside scoop on how to protect your information from cyber criminals.
In the real world we are incredibly security conscious. We lock our doors, have security bars, gates and alarms. To avoid smash and grabs, we place our valuables in our car boot when we drive. We are on the alert for highjacking tactics, and our children know the safety protocol for venturing into public places.And yet, when it comes to our cyber security, more often than not, we don’t think twice.
It’s all about convenience and what everyone else is doing. We tend to forget that in the information era, we walk a tight rope. Information and its accessibility is not only our biggest asset, it is also where we can experience our greatest downfall.
Staying Safe in a World of Online Criminals
As the world has evolved to accommodate the rapid progression of technology, so have criminals. They recognise what we often don’t – that their best means of extortion lies in their access to our personal information.
Executive Head of Forensic Services for Cell C, Jacqueline Fick, shares that the first step to ensuring your cyber safety lies in a change of mindset:
“When we log on to our internet banking we all suddenly become alert to the possibility of a cyber security breach and follow the necessary steps to ensure that we are safe from cyber criminals. The rest of the time, however, most of us don’t give it a second thought. Unfortunately, this is because we believe that they are after our money. We need to change this mindset and realise that what they are actually after is our information, because once they have this there is no end to what they can do with our identities.”
Fick shares the basic information they are looking for:
- Your full names
- Where you live
- Where you work
- Your cellphone number
- Where you bank
- What loans you have
- What retail accounts you have
- Your picture
- Your ID number
Top Tip: Don’t include your ID number on your CV. Only provide this when the company you are applying to requests it from you and ensure that you understand their policies around identity protection.
Take a moment to think about all the information you supply on your Facebook page and your LinkedIn profile. Take a moment to consider all the sites that have your login information or card details saved because it’s time efficient. Have you uploaded your CV to any recruitment sites lately? What information did you provide?
Top Tip: Don’t allow a site to save your information. This can leave you vulnerable.
What Can They Do With This Information?
“Once they have this information they can: set up online commerce transactions in your name, finance a car in your name, set up retail accounts in your name. The list is endless…”
There is also a growing number of criminals looking to get their hands on your medical information.
“When I ask people why someone might want their medical information I usually get met with blank stares. Cyber criminals want to collect your prescriptions on your behalf and deal these drugs on the black market. It’s a very lucrative industry for them,” shares Fick.
“What most people don’t realise is just how easy it is for someone to access your information. We all picture hardcore hackers, who spend all their time trying to get to your information. When in reality, most of the time, a simple internet search brings up everything that they require. We make it too easy for them.”
Top Tip: Beware of ‘whaling’ emails and emails from unknown sources that contain links. ‘Whaling’ emails often simply contain the message “hello”. This is so that when you click on it the sender gets notified that your email is active. They can then use this email to attempt to hack into any of the sites where you may have used it as a login detail.
Will Staying Offline Keep You Safe?
“No. Staying offline can also leave you vulnerable. It actually makes you the perfect candidate for cyber crime because you are less likely to realise that a fake Facebook account has been set up in your name, etc. Cyber criminals don’t just access your information online,” warns Fick.
You know that postbox that stands outside your house? 
The one which all your utility bills and bank statements get sent to? That places you at risk. And what about those security procedures where they scan your car license before you are allowed to enter? What is their company policy on protecting your information? Or the retail companies where you have your accounts – who sees that information?
Not to mention, cyber criminals don’t work alone. Their informant could be a colleague who is planted to find out the names of your children, their birthdays and your favourite movie. Why? So that they can get clues to which passwords you may use or where you bank. In short, so that they can access your personal information.
“I always ask women where they leave their handbag when they go to the bathroom at work. It just takes a few seconds for someone to take a picture of your license, ID or any other documentation you may keep in your purse. Always keep your information on you,” Fick advises.
Keeping Your Cell Phone Safe
Fick shares her top tips for protecting the information on your cell phone.
- Secure your phone. I personally use my fingerprint, a pattern and a password.
- Utilise software which allows you to separate your work information from your personal information. An example is Knox which allows you to encrypt your information.
- Don’t store sensitive information on your phone.
- When connecting to an open wifi, make sure that you verify which network you are connecting to. For example, if you are at a restaurant confirm the name of their wifi with an employee.
- It is good practice to clear the history of what wifi networks you have recently connected to.
- Use an antivirus on your phone and run regular updates.
- When children use your phone use an app called Luna Launcher which turns your phone into a child friendly device. This allows you to control what your child has access to while also ensuring that they cannot accidentally expose your information.
What To Do If You Are Hacked
Fick shares that you should take the following steps.
- Change your password.
- Connect your profile to a new email address.
- Look under the help section of the social media platform for the security procedure you should follow.
- Check which devices are connected to your social media platforms, emails etc under your security settings. Delete the devices which are not known to you.
- Report it to the police and get your case number.
- If your information has been compromised report it to the SAFBS. This way your details will be marked as compromised and if the criminal attempts to use them they will be prevented from doing so.
The 10 Commandments of Cyber Safety
So what is the take home message? Fick shares that while there are factors that are out of your control, make sure that you are taking advantage of all the factors that are within your control.
- The best defense is a good offense, as the saying goes. Think like a cyber criminal. Try to track down your own personal information to see where you are vulnerable.
- Be alert to the emails that you open and where they come from.
- Be alert to the links you click on and don’t visit dangerous sites.
- Clear your cookies regularly.
- Familiarise yourself with all the social media security settings that each platform provides and make use of them.
- Read the terms and conditions before you agree to anything online.
- Be aware of all the security features available to you on all of your internet devices and make full use of them.
- Don’t post anything on social media unless you would be prepared to stand up on a stage and say it in front of a public audience. And be wary of sharing your location.
- Always make sure that the person you are talking to online is who they are claiming to be. And be hesitant to give away any personal information.
- Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security by what your friends and family consider to be the norm.
