CYBERTHEFT IS REAL — BE VIGILANT

Long gone are the days of lax home security arrangements. We now lock doors, secure walls with electric fencing and maintain complex alarm systems linked to armed response. Foord’s operations manager DIANE BEHR says that we must similarly adapt our online security to the soaring risks of theft from electronic intruders.

As with all financial services companies, we are seeing increased fraudulent activity as processes become digitalised. Foremost in the fight against digital crime is to secure your email account. Fraudsters can compromise your email account to obtain sensitive information like account numbers, addresses and signatures. They can also change your passwords and then access your online investment and banking sites.

Protect your email by activating two-factor authentication—usually offered for free by email providers. Use strong passwords (whole sentences work well) and change them often. Never use the same password twice.

The most impenetrable castle is easily overrun if the door is opened to a con artist, or the keys are left under the flowerpot for the neighbour to feed the cat. Please keep your online passwords and usernames secret and keep them safe. So invest in a good password management app such as Bitwarden (there are others).

Protect your online environment by using the latest anti-virus software. Do not click on unknown links. Select the highest security options on your phone and other mobile devices and do not leave your phone, device or computer unlocked. Avoid using free public Wi-Fi to access your email, investment sites or any social media or other sites linked to your email.