Protect your computer
Lots of people use their computers to store and access bank details, important files and precious photos. Make sure you keep them safe by following the advice below:
- Be wary of any suspicious looking emails.
- Stop and think before sending any important information (like bank details) by email.
- Remember that the ‘from’ field in an email can be faked, so even if a message appears to be from a reliable source, it might still pose a risk.
- When you want to visit your bank online, always open a new browser and type in the web address yourself.
- Never open any email attachment unless you are expecting it and you know what it contains. If you are unsure, contact the sender by e-mail, text, phone or some other method to confirm that what they sent was not a virus.
- Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up-to-date.
- Keep back-ups of any important files on a disk or memory stick, so if something does happen to your computer, you still have the essentials.
- Use strong passwords (containing words, letters and symbols).
Find out more
If you want to make sure your computer is fully secure, take a look at some of these resources:
- Get Safe Online - The Government’s plain English advice to help protect computers, mobile phones and other devices from malicious attack.
- Crime Stoppers