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  • Not many of us would leave our houses or cars unlocked, or leave valuables unattended.

  • But when it comes to information we tend to be less careful.

  • Just look at the phone hacking scandal. Many of the victims left their passwords set

  • to the factory default setting of... password which made it easy for hackers.

  • It shows that we need to be more careful with information about ourselves,

  • and that which we handle for others. So this is what you need to know about information security.

  • Most of us, whether at home or at work,

  • have a huge amount of data on computers, smartphones, storage devices, tablets, and on paper.

  • There's so much of it that we can become complacent.

  • Perhaps mixing everday documents with sensitive information,

  • then treating them as if they were all just ordinary files with nothing important on them.

  • But what if these files got into the wrong hands?

  • Embarrassment? Inconvenience? Public scandal and dismissal?

  • A lof ot information security is about being more aware of the risks we're taking.

  • Personal information may seem unimportant to you, but to a criminal,

  • it can be the key that opens doors.

  • We need passwords for everything these days.This is Laura and she uses them a lot.

  • This one looks pretty secure and she knows not to write it down. But here's the thing, she uses the same password

  • for lots of different websites. The same one for her social media as her online

  • auction account, her bank and her Amazing.com account,

  • and for some site and she had to register for...

  • Criminals capture usernames, passwords and personal information from bogus sites

  • it's one of the most common ways that criminals get our details.

  • So using secure passwords is important, but it's also important to use different ones.

  • And passwords are just the first line of defense. For important information encryption makes

  • it almost impossible for criminals to use the data,

  • even if they do get through to it. That's why people often encrypt data on laptops

  • or USB memory sticks. Encryption's also used to make data transfer

  • through the internet more secure. Websites that are using enryption have an

  • h-t-t-p-s address and a padlock symbol. Look for this if you're buying something,

  • or using a bank account or getting a quote for insurance,

  • anytime when personal details and information are involved.

  • But what about information on paper? We can be just as careless with written or

  • printed documents. You may have heard of government officials

  • with confidential documents on display walking passed photographers,

  • or putting correspondence in public litter bins.

  • It seems so obvious, but have you ever left any documents with confidential information

  • lying around, in a briefcase, on a desk, or on a computer

  • monitor where someone could see it, copy it or print it off?

  • Ever hit 'reply to all' on an email and not checked who it was going to?

  • It might just be embarrassing but it could be worse... a lot worse.

  • Sometimes though it's more a case of stopping others gaining access.

  • You wouldn't let a stranger follow you in through your front door,

  • so why do people do this in secure areas at work? It's called tailgating. It might be a little embarrassing

  • to say no, or ask for ID, but look what happened in this case,

  • An imposter went into a bank posing as an IT person come to fix a computer.

  • Instead he installed a small piece of software onto the system

  • which allowed hackers to see what was being typed on the bank's computer,

  • and use this information to transfer money from the bank to their own accounts.

  • Criminals tried to do something similar on Laura's computer at home

  • by trying to install what's called malware. Fortunately, she had her antivirus and protection

  • software up-to date and it stopped the hackers before they did any damage.

  • Credit and debit cards are prime targets for criminals.

  • Some clone them, while others watch over your shoulder as you

  • enter your PIN code, before stealing your card and using it.

  • Look out for these so called shoulder surfers, and make sure they can't see your PIN as you enter it.

  • Organized gangs of criminals are stealing

  • information at such a rate that the cost of a credit card number and bank account details

  • is about the same as the price of the cup of coffee.

  • Criminals are always looking for new ways to get our information and use it for profit.

  • Here are three things that may help to make it harder for them.

  • The first is to be more aware of what information you have, how important it is and how secure it is.

  • Second is to assess what could happen if you lost it or it got into the wrong hands.

  • And third, make sure you have adequate precautions in place to protect it.

  • Although it may be difficult for us to see the value of the information we handle everyday,

  • we need to get into the habit of protecting our own, and others' information,

  • in the same way as we look after our valuables

  • and the things we care about.

Not many of us would leave our houses or cars unlocked, or leave valuables unattended.

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