Keeping yourself save while online is extremely important and will help you to enjoy the internet whilst safe in the knowledge that you and your details are protected.
Get Safe Online provides a range of resources and information to help keep yourself save online. Below is a summary of some of the key ways you can protect yourself online. To learn more visit Get Safe Online.
Oversharing: Be cautious about sharing personal information online to prevent identity theft. Regularly review privacy settings on social media to control who can see your details.
Cyberbullying: Recognise and prevent cyberbullying by blocking and reporting abusive users. Seek support from trusted individuals or organisations if needed.
Online Gambling: Set spending limits and choose reputable gambling sites. Be aware of the signs of gambling addiction.
Loan Fee Fraud: Be wary of unsolicited loan offers and research lenders thoroughly before paying any fees. Avoid upfront payments for loans.
Adult Content: Use antivirus software and avoid suspicious links when visiting adult content websites to protect your devices from malware.
Safe Remittances: Use trusted remittance (payment) services and verify recipient details to avoid scams targeting money transfers.
Trades Recommendation Websites: Check credentials and reviews of tradespeople on reputable recommendation sites to ensure reliability.
Smart TVs: Regularly update your smart TV’s software and be cautious about the information shared through these devices.
eCards: Use reputable eCard services and be cautious about links and attachments to avoid malware.
Protecting Yourself from Fraud
Fraud is an act of deception committed for personal gain or to cause loss to another party.
Derbyshire Constabulary have created an essential guide to help prevent fraud. The guide covers a variety of scams that are reported to us, including doorstep scams, romance fraud and scams that take place through online messaging applications like WhatsApp. To access the guide click here.
Derbyshire Victim Services have a dedicated page for Cyber Crime and Fraud which can be accessed here.
How private is your personal information?
This video highlights just how much information there may be about us online.
The people in this café are real people, not actors and no accounts are hacked or any secret files accessed, just info available on the internet!
Securing your online accounts
Derbyshire Constabulary’s Cyber Protect Team strongly recommend the following actions to secure your online accounts:
Two Factor Authentication (2FA) aka 2 Step Verification and Multi Factor Authentication
Wherever possible, enable two factor authentication (aka 2SV/MFA). It’s basically an extra layer of security preventing unauthorised access to online accounts, even if someone manages to obtain your username and passwords.
Click here for step by step instructions. Type in the name of the site/app you have accounts with – if they support 2FA they will show in green and you press the “Document icon” or “Documentation button” to take you to the set up instructions. This is particularly important on email accounts, social media, WhatsApp and shopping/payment accounts.
Do not save payment details to accounts that do not support 2FA. If your primary email provider does not support 2FA, the Cyber Protect Team strongly advise setting up a new one.
Protecting your online accounts against data breaches
Visit here to check to see if your details have been compromised in known data breach incidents. You can also click on the three lines and opt for ‘notify me’ and you will be contacted anytime your passwords are found to available in a new breach, allowing you to immediately change your passwords to protect your online accounts.
Passwords
It’s imperative that we use strong and separate passwords for all online account, these ideally are created based on three random words.
In terms of how to manage remembering them all, we advocate :
- Consider using a Password Manager App
- Making a note of usernames and a reminder hint of the password – keep separate from devices
- If you are the only person using your device, you can save passwords to your browser if prompted, bear in mind that anyone using your device would be able to automatically log in to sites you have saved the password for though.
Your most important passwords are the ones to your email account and password manager, if you have one.
For more info click here.
Ensure your Facebook account password is strong (three random words) and not used on any other accounts.
Check to ensure your posts are visible only to friends, not public – visit Facebook’s guide here.
It is not uncommon for Facebook accounts to be cloned (duplicated) to trick people into accepting the duplicated friend request. To prevent this from happening, we strongly advice anyone with a Facebook account change the settings so that your friends list is visible to only you or only to friends. Click here to learn how.
If your account has been compromised, just changing the password does not necessarily secure your account – it’s important that you review where you are logged in, and on what devices – then log off any you don’t recognise. Click here to learn how.
Where can I go for support?
The Police and Crime Commissioner funds organisations that provide support services for victims and witnesses in Derbyshire. These are free of charge and are available to anyone who lives in Derbyshire. For anti-social behaviour, these support services are provided by Derbyshire Victim Services.
Derbyshire Victim Services
If you have ever been the victim of anti-social behaviour, Derbyshire Victim Services can provide all the help and support you need. Their local team offers a friendly, free and confidential service to anyone living in Derbyshire. It doesn’t matter if you reported it to the Police or not they are here to help you with any practical advice and emotional support.
0800 612 6505
TEXT ‘DVS’ TO 82228
support@dvssupport.org
Below are a list of other organisations that may be able to provide advice and support:
Get Safe Online
The Get Safe Online website provides practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computers and mobiles device and your business against fraud, identity theft, viruses and other problems encountered online.
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
NCSC support the most critical organisations in the UK, the wider public sector, industry, SMEs as well as the general public. NCSC provides advice to protect you and your family, and the technology you rely on.
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/advice-guidance/you-your-family