Home Workers – This is for you

Millions of people the world over have made a sudden shift to working from home due to the current global circumstances. With our customers in mind we are developing material to help you stay safe and secure when you are online.

Protect those around you by staying connected, private and by sharing valid information.

Unfortunately, as you may be aware, cyber criminals are taking advantage of the anxieties and concerns around the coronavirus, Covid-19.

This has led to a flood of phishing mails that either attempt to steal log-in details belonging to remote workers or install malware on to a victim’s computer. Other infection methods are also being used such as websites that harbour malicious code and apps that are actually fronts for ransomware among other things.

To Protect yourself here are a few useful tips……

Emails
Whenever you receive an e-mail that asks you to click or open a link, take a GOOD look at the sender’s actual email address, not just the displayed name (which could be a trick). You can usually see this by hovering your mouse over the sender’s name.

Websites
If opening links from within an e-mail, look in the URL address bar to see the domain hosting the web page, is it what you would expect – or is it a website you have never heard of? Again, you can hover your mouse over the link without clicking to see the destination website.

Your Systems
Keep your operating system and apps updated – this ensures you have the latest patches against any known exploits

Lock or close your laptop when you’re taking a break, this will ensure that others in your home don’t accidently click on malware links or otherwise mess up your work.

With these tips in mind, please take an extra moment to review incoming emails, and the websites you visit to avoid becoming a victim of these attacks. Be extra careful around your online banking and financial investments and don’t be fooled by easy money. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.

We express our gratitude to those of you who are working on the frontline to combat this virus and offer our sympathies and best wishes to those who have been impacted.

We’re in this together! Stay safe both online and offline!  If you need any help with anything mentioned in this blog please get in touch.

With Kind Regards

The MPMIT Team, offering local IT support in byte sized chunks to Micro businesses and Sole Traders in the Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and the surrounding areas.