Top Tips!
Passwords & Codes: Never tell anyone (including us!) your password or access codes and never write them down in a way that could be easily understood by someone else. Don’t use codes like dates or birth or childrens’ names that could be easy to guess.
Only use official links: Log onto your Penrith Online account from penrithbs.co.uk. Spoof websites can be set up by cyber criminals to imitate real websites – an incorrect web address can be a giveaway. If you are not sure about a link you have been sent, do not click it. It is better to open your web browser and type in the link.
Scams: Beware of any unprompted phone calls, emails or text messages asking you to reveal your personal information. We will never ask you for your account information in this way. Don’t log into your Penrith Online account if you are asked to by someone who has cold called you – for example, they may offer to fix or upgrade your computer.
Keep an eye on your accounts: Regularly check your accounts for unusual transactions. If you notice anything unusual about transactions on your account with us, let us know as soon as possible.
Create a strong password: Creating a strong password is extremely important for online security. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends that you use three random but memorable words as a password including at least one; upper case letter, number and symbol where you can. For instance: Blu3-pap3r-plan3, Ph0neh0mefr1end or LakeJellyCar-954. Cyber criminals know to try well used substitutes like “P4ssw0rd123”. The more difficult your password is to guess, the safer it is.
Do not reuse or share passwords: You should not use the same password for multiple applications. If a cyber criminal manages to crack your password on one application and you use the same password on other applications, they have then got access to those other applications too.
Think about using a password manager to help you remember all your passwords. A password manager is an app which can be installed on your mobile device or computer which stores your passwords securely. Some password managers can synchronise your passwords across your different devices, making it easier to log on, wherever you are. Some can also create random, unique passwords for you, when you need to create a new password (or change an existing one).
Keep your devices up to date: Cyber criminals can exploit vulnerabilities in software to attack your devices and install malware or even steal your identity. Software and app updates are designed to fix these weaknesses and installing them as soon as possible will keep your devices secure and protected against cyber crime. You’ll often receive a prompt on your computer or mobile device to inform you that a software or app update is available. Don’t ignore this message, install the update. The short time it takes to download and install the update will reduce the risk of you falling victim to identity theft and could save you a significant amount of time and trouble in the long run.
Protect your online data: It is important that you keep your data safe, and backing it up is the best method of doing that. A very effective way of backing up your data is using the cloud. Hosted online by someone else, Cloud backups are away from your home and devices. Due to this, you will always have access to this data as long as you have an internet connection. Your data will all be there no matter what happens to your device.
Use a screen lock if you have one: Screen locks offer your devices an important extra layer of security. Each time you want to unlock your device or switch it on, you’ll be asked to enter a PIN, password, fingerprint or use facial recognition. This means that if someone gets hold of your device they can’t access the data stored on it without using one of these security methods. Don’t use ‘1 2 3 4’ or an ‘L’ shaped pattern which are easy for other people to guess.