Safer Internet Day: Avoid these five common online safety mistakes
Safer Internet Day is celebrating its 20th year in 2023 with a theme of ‘Connect. Reflect. Protect.’
- Connect safely and with purpose – by keeping apps and devices secure and using social media in positive ways.
- Reflect before we act – by taking a moment to consider how what we do and say online may affect others.
- Protect ourselves and others by taking action – by telling family, friends or colleagues about eSafety and how we can help.
The cybersecurity team at Infoxchange has pulled together the five most common mistakes seen when helping Not-For-Profit's to be safe and secure.
Mistake #1: Not using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever it’s available
Using MFA is the most significant step individuals and organisations can take to protect themselves and their organisation from compromise and cyberattacks. MFA blocks 99.9% of unauthorized login attempts/account compromise attacks (Microsoft, 2019). Despite this, Infoxchange’s 2022 Digital Technology in the Not-For-Profit Sector report (‘the tech report’) found that more than 1 in 3 not-for-profit organisations are yet to implement MFA.
Mistake #2: Poor password management
Too many internet users use poor passphrases, or are reusing passphrases across multiple sites. Many do this out of fear of forgetting a multitude of passwords. A good solution for this is to use a password manager such as Dashlane (available to registered NFPs from Infoxchange’s Connecting Up at a discounted rate.)
Mistake #3: Not being sceptical about scams
A level of scepticism about potential scams through all e-mail, SMS messages and unsolicited phone calls is wise. If they appear to be from a reputable organisation or they ask you to click on a link or provide personal information always think twice. Other ways to check the authenticity are to check the legitimacy of the email address or to check in with your organisation/IT manager about the contact.
Mistake #4: Not keeping computers, smartphones, tablets and apps up to date
Most people ignore the pop-ups letting them know that apps and devices are not up to date. These updates often include new defence mechanisms against new or emerging bugs or glitches. The updates are often driven by companies who have found a vulnerability and want to protect their customers. Instead of ignoring the update notification, ensure automatic updates are turned on and allow them to update.
Mistake #5: Not using reputable antivirus/anti-malware protection on computers
This is most relevant to organisations, but if users are spending a lot of time online or have extensive personal information to protect, consider investing in this software. Windows 10/11 has Windows Defender built in, and BitDefender available from Connecting Up can also provide protection against phishing and other malicious web links.
IT Strategy and advice for not-for-profits
If you'd like more help and advice with internet safety for your organisation, contact our team today.