With the recent wave of scams hitting Singapore’s banks such as the OCBC saga, you might have read the terrifying articles of life savings being wiped away in a span of hours, even minutes. With Singapore being a highly digitalised society, we are always at risk of being vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Wondering how you can be better prepared against potential breaches? Here are 5 cyber security tips for you to better protect your personal information online.
Change Your Passwords Regularly
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It seems really simple but we are all guilty of feeling too lazy to change our passwords regularly. Ideally, we should change our passwords every 3 months to ensure our accounts remain secure.
When you are setting up a new password, avoid using information that can be easily guessed, such as your birthday. Your password should ideally be about 8 to 20 characters long, using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. If multi-factor authentication is available for the platform, you should opt to turn it on to enhance the security of your account.
Given that most Singaporeans have multiple online accounts, you might be concerned about forgetting your passwords, especially if they are lengthy. Well, fret not because you can rely on a password manager to manage multiple passwords. If you are a Mac user, you can utilise Apple’s built-in password manager, iCloud Keychain. If you are a Windows user, there is now a built-in password manager that comes with Microsoft Edge for Windows 10.
Update Your Software and Devices Regularly
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Are you procrastinating and hitting the ‘later’ button again on that software update? Here’s a friendly reminder to keep your software updated regularly. When your software or device is outdated, this makes it susceptible to security patches that can be exploited. Even when you have turned on the auto-update function on your devices, it is still best to check manually if there are any pending updates that might have been missed.
Additionally, you should consider installing anti-virus and anti-malware software on your device if you have not done so. There are many options available in the market that can cater to your needs depending on the level of cybersecurity protection you are seeking.
Be Careful with Emails Sent To You
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Cyber attacks related to emails have been around for many years although they have become much more sophisticated in recent times. A way to prevent yourself from falling victim to such cyber attacks is to first check the sender’s email address in detail, even if it may seem at first glance like an email address you are familiar with.
Before clicking on any links or attachments, always hover your cursor over the links to see if what is shown in the small pop-up window matches the actual URL. If it does not, it is possibly a link redirecting you to a virus or a dangerous website. You should be cautious too if the attachment name is suspicious or has an uncommon file type (e.g. .exe) used.
Another thing to take note of will be the language used in an email. For example, you should be more wary if an urgent or threatening tone is being used, especially if it pertains to confidential information. Inconsistencies in the writing of the email, such as grammar mistakes, unnecessary capital letters and exclamations marks, can be a warning sign that it is a phishing email.
Remember to regularly log out of your email accounts as well, even if it may seem like a hassle, so as to prevent your account from being vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Think Twice While Surfing The Internet
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When we are surfing the internet, we might not think twice before clicking a link that has popped up on the search engine. However, this might place your device at risk of cyber attacks unknowingly. A way to know that the website you are on is unlikely to be a phishing website is if there is a locked padlock sign in the address bar or if the website address starts with ‘HTTPS’.
Additionally, you should always heed any security warnings you have received from your browser such as on infected websites or the downloading of malicious files. However, if you are to see a pop-up message or an advertisement on a website warning about your computer’s security or performance from an unknown source, you should avoid clicking on it as it may be a virus or potentially redirect you to a phishing site.
Use A Secure Wi-Fi Connection
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It might seem obvious but you should try to use an encrypted wireless network whenever possible. When you are on a public network, such as while working or studying in a café, you are allowing cybercriminals to be able to gain easy access to confidential information, even to the extent of stealing your identity, as the information being transmitted is unencrypted.
To prevent your device from being vulnerable to cyber attacks, you can consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. There has been an increasing number of VPN services available in recent years and you can find one suitable for your needs just by looking up the internet or your app store.
