It's everyone's responsibility to keep their organization safe and secure. It's more important than ever to be certain we are educated in the world of cyber security and we apply it to our work.

In today’s blog, we will focus on cyber security in the work environment and how we can educate, train and become more aware while emphasizing risk management.

But before we get started, we need to define some of the most widely used terms in our modern era, namely:

1. The internet: Simply put, Internet is the “Network of Networks” connected to each other having plenty of information stored, transmitted or being processed on these networks.

2. Cyber: Cyber means “related to computers, networks & internet” or “related to internet technology”.

3. Social Media: Interactions among people in which they create, share and exchange information on internet communities. Facebook, LinkedIn are some popular examples of social media ‘platforms’.

4. Cyber Security: In simple words, Online Safety is called: "cybersecurity",

• E-Safety, Internet Safety, Safety from Cyberbullying all come under cyber security.
• Securing your information on internet is called cyber security.

Merge all the above definitions and you have a comprehensive definition of cyber security.

5. Now, What is "Personal Information"?

The information that identifies you!

Personal information is all information that belongs to you, that can be used to identify you is Personal Information (your name, email, company name, designation, mobile number, date of birth, social security number, government ID number, address etc.)

A Stranger on the internet can

• Be a HACKER!
• Pretend to be your friend but is an enemy!
• Forge his identity to lure you!
• Blackmail you!
• Pretend to be someone you know (like your teacher or principal) and may even exploit you!

What Are The Threats?

Internet might seem like a safe place but trust me your privacy and safety could be in jeopardy if you don’t ensure proper Internet Safety.

• Your personal information on the internet can be used against your safety.
• Strangers on the internet can steal your data and exploit you.
• Some online scam can lure you into losing some money.
• You may be tricked into a Social Engineering Attack and lose money or reputation or sometimes, both.
• You may lose your data as well as important usernames and passwords.
• Your entier business (if you're a business owner or freelancer) may fall victim to ransomware.
• Your computer or mobile device can be hacked and can be made unusable.
• It’s unfortunate but it may also result in loss of life sometimes (killer games like ‘Bluewhale’ is just one example).

What should I do? How to be Cyber Safe? How to ensure internet safety for myself, my employees and business?

Below are some top tips that can help you stay safe online:

Check the sites security before entering any credentials

To do that, you can simply look for secure websites having a URL that begins with ‘https’, as opposed to ‘http’. This additional ‘s’ gives an indication that the website is encrypted, and that the security is provided by an SSL certificate that protects sensitive information entered into the site.

Also watch out for the lock icon: The lock icon at the beginning of the URL ensures any information you enter on the site such as passwords and credit card information remain confidential. Websites that don’t have this are untrustworthy, and you should withhold entering any sensitive information.

Beware Unfamiliar Websites

Only use sites that are familiar, no matter how tempted you are. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Using sites that are unfamiliar opens up your risks to coming across a scam website.

If you’re adamant to use this website, make sure you search around for reviews to see people’s previous experience with the site. This will give a good indication as to whether the site is safe and legitimate.

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks

Fake websites aren’t your only concern when it comes to staying safe online. Even if using a legitimate website, if your internet connection isn’t secure, hackers are able to interject and steal your credentials.

To avoid this, withhold from surfing or buying anything online when using a public wi-fi, and wait until you connect to a secure, password protected internet connection.

Look for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors

Similar to phishing emails, phishing websites are known for containing spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. With majority of browsers having a built-in spell check, there should be no excuse for spelling mistakes in website content.

If the website you’re using contains numerous spelling and grammatical errors, this website might have been created with malicious intent to steal credentials.

Invest in a security solution

It can be tempting to make a purchase from a new site from an email you receive with a great offer. However, not all of these are always 100% genuine.

By investing in an effective security solution such as Cisco Email and Web security, users will be blocked from cyber threats from both ends of the spectrum. Using advanced scanning technology, this sort of solution will prevent users from clicking on or receiving malicious content, minimising the risks of ending up on a fake website or falling victims for cyber crime.

For more information on how to stay safe online, you can reach out to Ctelecoms team. We will always be there for you.