Online safety

Public WiFi usually isn’t as secure as a private network. If you do need to use it:

• Avoid online banking or shopping
• Never save passwords or leave your accounts logged in
  
• Switch off your device’s ability to auto-connect to public WiFi
• Stay aware of your surroundings.
  

Limiting the public information you share on social media can help prevent cyber criminals from using your information for identity theft or fraud. Customise your settings to carefully choose who you allow to see your full profile. Avoid sharing personal data like addresses, middle name, birthdate, travel dates or pet names which can be used to steal your identity or hack your accounts.

Devices like mobile phones, tablets and computers are vulnerable to viruses, spyware, malware and other online cyber threats. To keep them secure:

• Install anti-virus software
• Keep your firewall on and run regular security scans to protect them
• Make sure your operating system is up to date
• Only install apps from official stores like the Apple App Store^® or Google Play™ store
• Avoid removing hardware restrictions on devices.
  

A strong and unpredictable password helps to secure your banking, email and social media accounts. These contain important information about your identity.

Tips for creating a strong password

• Use a mix of letters, numbers and symbols that aren't personal to you
  
• A longer and more complex password is harder to decipher
  
• Don’t use information that can be easily guessed, like your birthday or address
• To help you remember a password, try using letters and numbers that tell a funny story (like ‘mYd0Gd0e$yog@).
  
  

How to keep your password secure

• Don’t store it or share it
• Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts - this prevents one breach from compromising all of your accounts
  
• Change your passwords regularly to stay unpredictable.
  

Be cautious before you hand over money online. Secure website URLs begin with ‘https’ and show a closed padlock in the address bar. It’s best to buy from stores which offer safe ways to pay, like those with Mastercard SecureCode^® at the checkout. Unsafe websites usually have:

• Poor spelling and grammar in URLs and on the page
• Deals that sound too good to be true
• No reviews or bad reviews of the seller.
  

Consider limiting who can install programs, change security settings and use programs or networks. You should also encrypt hard drives and sensitive data files, create a guest mode for visitors to restrict network access and limit staff to the use of approved network devices only.