Cyber Security

Even when armed with the best information, it’s still possible to fall victim to a scam. To help minimise any further damage, follow these three simple steps: 

1. Don’t panic. Speak with your bank to cancel any affected cards or put your accounts on hold, and immediately change your passwords. 
2. If you’re concerned that you’ve been scammed or your personal information has been compromised in some way, please contact Australian Seniors on 13 13 43 immediately.
3. If you’ve suffered financial loss or your personal information has been compromised, you should log an incident with the Australian Cyber Security Centre or call their hotline on 1300 292 371. A list of resources, including recovery and counselling services, can be found on the Scamwatch website.

Data breaches occur when information being held by a bank, medical facility, educational institution, government department or commercial business has their online security breached, exposing confidential records and databases to the hacker who breached their defences.

If you are informed that your personal information could be compromised by a data breach, take the following 5 steps:

1. Confirm – First things first, you need to make sure there was actually a data breach. When hearing about a possible data breach, either directly or on the news, contact the affected party directly to make sure you haven’t been targeted by a scam. One handy way to learn if any of your accounts, phone numbers or email addresses have been involved in a data breach is to use a tool such as Have I Been Pwned?

2. Scan – If your information has been exposed, scan for malware on your computer and any device that you use to make sure they aren’t infected with a virus.

3. Determine – Once a breach has been confirmed, you need to work out what sensitive information has been exposed. Depending on the type of breach, this can be narrowed down by contacting the breached party for more information or reading any related news stories. If the breach occurred at your bank, you can safely assume that your financial information (account details, identifying information, etc) is at risk and take steps to secure it.

4. Reset – Perhaps the most important step is to change the passwords for all of your online accounts, even those that may not have been involved in the breach. If any account uses your email address, name or other sensitive information to identify you, you need to change the password.

5. Observe – After your passwords have been changed and you’ve performed a virus scan on all of your devices, continue to monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.

Hearing that your personal information has been involved in a data breach can be stressful, but you can minimise any damage by acting quickly and following the steps above.

While not a scam, a data breach can do just as much damage and needs the same strong action if your personal information is compromised by one.

When it comes to your online safety, remember the following:

• Never share your PIN, security codes or passwords with anyone or leave them where someone else could find them — don’t write your password on a Post-It note and leave it on your computer or the fridge.
• Never click on any links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Known as phishing, clicking on these fake links gives scammers access to your device, which allows them to steal personal information such as passwords, bank details and credit card numbers. These links often look legitimate, but take you to a fraudulent website. 
• Be aware that the accounts of your friends or other contacts could be compromised and controlled by a third party to send a malicious link. Before clicking on any link, always move your mouse across the link to see where it directs. If anything looks suspicious, do not make any payments without verifying with the trusted sender through a different communication channel, or contacting them directly.
• Never reply to an email or SMS (text message) asking for your personal information. 
• Never give anyone access to your computer remotely, especially if they have contacted you unexpectedly.
• Secure your devices by using biometric features such as Two-Factor Authentication (thumbprint or facial recognition), and always make sure your anti-virus software is up to date.
• Never use an obvious password, such as your birth date or the name of your pet, as a scammer can easily work these out. Consider using a password generator such as LastPass to create unique, complex passwords for your devices and accounts. Don’t store your passwords on a browser but instead, use a password manager to store them securely. Change your passwords regularly and try not to reuse the same password on more than one website.
• Avoid connecting your devices to a public Wi-Fi network. If you must use public Wi-Fi, never conduct any banking or login to websites that require your personal details as it’s much easier for scammers to steal your passwords and other sensitive information from an open network.
• Never connect a USB drive to your computer or device unless you know where it came from.
• Be wary of phone calls from numbers you don’t recognise.
• Be wary of any business that requests an uncommon payment method, such as direct fund transfer, money order, pre-loaded card, wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
• Be wary of new friends or romantic partners who develop strong feelings quickly, then ask for money or gifts.
• Be wary about any offer that pressures you into making a decision.
• If you’ve received an offer that appears too good to be true, it probably is — this could include things like high-end fashion or popular electronic devices at bargain-basement prices, or a once-in-a-lifetime return on investment.
• Always go directly to our website by typing seniors.com.au rather than clicking on links found in emails or elsewhere online or SMS, and please contact us directly if you’re unsure about any correspondence. If we send you an SMS or email it will clearly identify us and provide a contact number.