December is a busy time of year for many. Finding time to strike items off the to-do list before the festivities start can leave us tired and distracted. Unfortunately, threat actors know that this is an opportune moment to prey on our distraction.
Here at Transparity, we’re braced and ready to protect our customers over the December holidays and beyond, but we wanted to provide our festive top 5 recommendations to help keep the attackers at bay.
Validate before you act!
Last minute requests are common this time of year, to push through priority actions for last minute deadlines. But how do you know the call you received from your IT support team asking to install updates is valid? Or that the last minute email from your manager to pay a supplier using new account details is legitimate?
The answer is to validate the request. Call your IT support team back via a known number or speak to your manager over the phone to validate the request.
At Transparity you can expect our support teams to contact you via the following methods:
Phone: 01202 800000 or 01202 800001
Email: support@transparity.com
Escalate to a known contact if you are uncertain.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Retailers and suppliers are all competing for our attention with last minutes deals and offers. It’s a great opportunity to snag a bargain, but attackers use this opportunity to prey on the unsuspecting. Be wary of online scams. Stick to reputable brands and be wary of links in emails or adverts. Make your own way to the webpage to find the offers advertised in emails or adverts.
Think about what you share online. Information is critical to an attacker as the more they know about you, the more opportunities they have to manipulate you. Beware of oversharing information online and consider whether the information you are providing is necessary. A great proactive step to take is to review your privacy settings across your online accounts.
If in doubt, shout it out.
It might be nothing, but it could be something! If you’ve received an odd call, clicked on a link you weren’t sure about or witnessed something strange occurring on your device, make sure to report it to your IT team. For Managed Security Service customers, Transparity’ s Security experts are online 24/7 and ready to assist IT teams with escalated security incidents.
Bonus steps!
- Prioritise device updates
- Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible
- Set strong (14+ Character) passwords that are unique for each account
- Consider using a password manager to help you securely manage your passwords
- Reach out to our security experts for support if you need it.
