Today marks Safer Internet Day (February 8) which aims to increase awareness of positive internet
practices, addressing issues such as misinformation, online bullying, and cyberattacks.
Warrington Housing Association is observing Safer Internet Day by raising awareness on protecting
yourself, family and our organisation from cyberattacks. Here Roger Lowe, IT officer at Warrington Housing Association, explains more:
“Cyberattacks are the damage or destructions to systems and networks, preventing us from working in established processes and causing a loss in data; potentially no emails for months, loss of tenancy agreements or bank details to name just a few issues it can cause.
“Sometimes, this damage is done in an attempt to get money from on organisation. It can be incredibly costly to operations, customers and even our personal lives. This has happened to so many companies including social housing providers in the UK.
“One change we can make is to strengthen our passwords. By using the same password for work as you do for the bank or online shopping, it means that if one is compromised, then it could all be compromised. Also use unique passwords across devices and companies to protect yourself and others.
“Something that could really help with password security is Two Factor Authentication (2FA) as well as tightening up all your social media. Through the security settings, you can better ensure that only those you trust can view what you share.
“It is also important to question how much you share. Social engineering hackers can access your Facebook or Twitter accounts. With ease, they can see you pets name, place you were born, kids’ names, mother’s maiden name, date of birth…. you get the drift! All this information is valuable to a hacker looking for password hints or reset information.
“Finally, a great resource for us is Cyber Aware. While a wonderful resource for those who have children or young people in their lives is the UK Safer Internet Centre. Highly recommend for tips on what and how to discuss safe internet practices with children.”
