Improvements in firewall technology mean it’s now more difficult for cyber criminals to hack into your IT systems. However, that doesn’t mean they’re simply giving up. Social engineering is a growing problem and it’s important you know how to protect yourself.

What is social engineering?

Many of us put an increasing amount of information online. Whether it’s sharing family photos on social media or making friends in online chat rooms, we share more than we realise. Social engineering is when cyber criminals manipulate people into giving up private information. Unfortunately, it’s human beings who are the weak link, so education of the risks is vital.

How are we protecting our clients?

At ECOM, we’re advising clients to regularly remind staff of the risks and explain what a social engineering attack could look like. There are ways we can all protect ourselves online. Here are our top tips:

• Always keep your passwords private.
• Stop and think before replying to a request. Is it genuine?
• Don’t open attachments or download files unless you know the sender.
• Set your spam filters to high.
• Regularly educate your staff about the risks.
• If something does happen, tell the truth about what happened, so we can help you.

What else can you do?

We’re also suggesting that our clients use multifunctional authentication (MFA) products. They are a good defence if information has already been shared. When you log into your computer, for example, you would be sent a request to approve that log in on your phone. If you receive a request to log in and it’s not you, you can raise the alarm.

Our free IT health checks include screening your level of cyber-security protection. Call us to arrange your free IT health check today.