Cybersecurity Awareness Month: keep your personal information secure

News | Posted on Friday 27 September 2024

Imagine waking up one morning to find your bank accounts empty, your social media accounts hacked and no idea where your personal information may have been shared.

This may sound like the stuff of nightmares but it can very easily turn to reality if you don’t take cybersecurity seriously.

October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a useful reminder of the steps we can all take to protect our personal information.

Don’t get hooked- spot the signs of phishing

Phishing is when fraudsters send fake emails claiming to be from an organisation you trust such as your university or bank. Often, they’ll ask you to share your personal information or bank details and they might suggest you’ll lose access to your account if you don’t. 

We all think we won’t be caught out by these fake emails but every year we’re forced to lock staff and students accounts because they've fallen victim to scams. 

Learn how to spot phishing emails and what to do if you receive them by visiting the spam and phishing webpage.

Don't become a money mule

One of the main enablers of fraud are money mules; people who let others use their bank account to transfer money, often keeping a little bit for themselves. 

Criminal gangs often target students to become money mules, offering them the chance to make some quick cash in exchange for processing money through their bank account. This money may have been obtained illegally or be used to fund organised crime. If this is the case, money mules could face time in prison for money laundering and end up with a criminal record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puvu4-DMYbA&t=1s

Never share bank and personal details with anyone that you don’t know or trust – even among friends or family. Be suspicious of job adverts that offer the chance to earn quick and easy money, stick to reputable job sites instead. 

If you suspect someone of being a money mule you can report them to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.  If you would prefer not to give your details to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Set up two-factor authentication on your social media accounts

If you use social media, we suggest setting up two-factor authentication on your accounts. Two-factor authentication is an additional step you can use to keep your accounts secure from hackers, the idea is that to login you’ll need to provide your password AND some other evidence to prove who you are. This other evidence could be a code sent to your phone, a code that you generate using your phone or other device, or a prompt that you accept on your phone. This means that even if someone figures out your password they won’t be able to login to your account. 

You can usually set up two-factor authentication by going into the security settings of your account.