Reminder to be vigilant about data and digital security

Remaining vigilant about data and digital security has become a part of everyday life now. The North team want to share a few reminders for you and your clients on staying safe online.

• Monitor your accounts and immediately report any suspicious activity.
• Be cautious of phishing scams and extra careful when opening email attachments as they may contain malware.
• Be cautious of urgent requests to click links in emails as this may take you to malicious websites. Hover your curser over links before clicking on them to show you where the link is going to try and take you.
• Install and regularly update firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware and spam filtering software on your home PC. Security software helps protect your computer against fraudulent activity by detecting and preventing online attacks.
• Try using passphrases instead of passwords as password length adds more complexity, something like “!gn0ranc# !s Bli$$” or “W!nt3r !s C0m!ng”. A password manager can also make things easy and keep all your passwords safe.
• Sign up for two-factor authentication (where possible) so when you log into your accounts, you'll need to provide two forms of verification to access them, e.g. you'll need to enter your password as well as a code sent by email or SMS. This is now mandatory for North.
• Be cautious of phone and SMS scams. You can visit scamwatch.gov.au to find out more about the latest scams, how to report a scam or get help if you’ve been scammed.
• If your clients are concerned about the security of their identity or any related cyber scam, they can get free and confidential support from IDCare by calling 1300 432 273 or visiting idcare.org. IDCARE have expert Case Managers who can work with them to address their concerns and there’s no cost.

North takes you and your client’s data and online security seriously, and are continuously updating and improving our processes and protocols.