How to avoid cybercrime

Keeping your data safe online can sometimes feel a bit daunting. Everyone knows hackers are out there, using a range of tricks to steal personal information and rip off unsuspecting people and businesses. But how do you properly defend yourself and your family against hackers?

There are plenty of small things you can do that will make a real difference to your security and give you greater confidence online. It’s often not about a one-off effort to fight cybercrime, but about getting into good habits to stay safe online.

Easy as hack

If you’ve been a victim of a cybercrime report it to Action Fraud.

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is any crime that is committed online or mostly online. It includes everything from serious security breaches and leaks to personal information theft.

How to prevent cybercrime

Don’t share personal information

You should never post anything on social media that could give anything about your identity away. This includes your age, your birthday, your ID, the area you live in, and your email address. You should also make sure your social media privacy settings are up to date.

Sharing your personal data doesn’t just mean on social media platforms. If you receive a phone call or email asking for your personal details you should report it as spam.

Legitimate companies will not ask for your personal details over the phone except to establish your identity.

Keep an eye on your bank account

It’s easy to miss unusual payments among your many outgoings. But keep an eye on your bank account, and if you spot anything that doesn’t seem right, immediately report it to your bank. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Use strong passwords

As inconvenient as this may be, you need to create strong passwords. Don’t reuse the same passwords for different websites, or a hacker will be able to take leaked data from one attack and use it to login to your other accounts.

Never save passwords on your device, for example in your Notes app. Instead, consider using a secure password manager to help you store passwords for all your accounts. These services can also help you generate stronger passwords.

Keep an eye on your credit score

While you may check your bank account regularly, do you do the same with your credit score?

By checking your credit score, you can see what credit searches are happening against your name. If there is some unusual activity, it could be the first sign that you’ve been a victim of identity theft.

There are plenty of sites that allow you to monitor your credit score, including Experian, Noddle and ClearScore.

Check if your data has been compromised

It’s really quick and easy to see if your personal data has been compromised by a data breach.

Simply input your email address into a website such as Have I Been Pwned. You might be shocked to find that your account has been compromised in several data breaches.

If so, it’s time to change your passwords and make them much stronger.

Discard personal documents safely

Try to avoid leaving your personal details on documents.

If you receive documents like bank statements, or anything from the government, NHS, or other official body, make sure you shred them so no one can read your details.

You can also black out your address on envelopes and packaging with a permanent marker before you throw them out.

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks

Don’t automatically join a Wi-Fi network in a café, airport or other public place.

Fraudsters can set up public networks and give them any name they choose, making it difficult to spot.

To protect yourself, make sure you’ve turned on your firewall, and have up-to-date malware protection before you join any Wi-Fi network.

Another option is to hotspot from your phone when you’re out in public - or work offline.

Update your anti-virus software

Keep your anti-virus software updated, so you have the latest security patches in place.

Anti-virus software protects your device by scanning files and memory for patterns or behaviour that may indicate the presence of malware on your device.

It may help to turn on automatic updates and set your security software to run regular scans on your device.

What are the different types of cybercrime?

Hacking

Someone hacking you is usually after personal information they can use for themselves such as bank details, social media passwords and email addresses.

Identity fraud

This type of cybercrime involves your personal information being stolen and used by criminals.

Phishing

This is when criminals use scam emails, phone calls or text messages to steal information from people.

Theft of financial or card data

The theft of financial or card data can include both personal and corporate data. Scammers will then use this to take money from the attached account or to purchase things.

Cyber extortion

Cyber extortion involves criminals demanding money to prevent an attack they are threatening to carry out.

Selling illegal items online

Selling contraband or stolen items is illegal, even if it’s online.

Reporting cybercrime

If you’ve been a victim of cybercrime, you can report it to Action Fraud.

Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. Once you’ve made your report you’ll be given a crime reference number. You should also report the crime to your bank or card provider, if relevant.

You may need to freeze your bank cards, change passwords to your online accounts, and let your friends and family know about the incident, depending on the nature of the crime.

What are the consequences of cybercrime?

There are many possible consequences of being a victim of cybercrime:

• Financial loss: Financial cybercrime isn’t just a criminal draining all the money from your bank account. It can also be someone making small, regular purchases using your bank details. You may not even notice if you don’t check your transaction history on a regular basis.
• Data breaches: If you find yourself getting emails you didn’t sign up for or you suddenly can’t log in to some of your accounts, it’s possible that your email and passwords have been used by criminals.
• Business disruption: Cybercrime can cause severe disruption to businesses. Depending on the nature of the crime, it may cause anything from a minor blip to several days, or even weeks, of chaos.

What is the best way to prevent cybercrime?

Don’t give out personal information. If you get asked for personal information on the phone or over email make sure it’s a legitimate ask. If in doubt, put down the phone.

How to report a telephone scam?

Contact Action Fraud and report the scam. Follow our advice on how to protect yourself from telephone scammers to prevent it from happening to you.

Can cybercrime happen on just your laptop?

No. Cybercrime can happen on any of your electronic devices.