Get Safe Online - and on your phone

Today marks the start of Get Safe Online Week, an annual event held to raise awareness of Internet  safety issues.

The aim is to encourage everyone to take time out of their week to learn more about Internet safety and to make sure that their computer is properly protected.

The risks are serious but prevention is easy. A few hours is all you need. It's a small price to pay compared to the huge hassle of dealing with viruses, identity theft and online fraud.

Microsoft is one of many supporters of this initiative. For free anti-virus protection for up to 10PCs, we recommend that you download Microsoft Security Essentials today.

You can also download our guide ‘Business IT security for non-techies’, for more advice.  

A particular focus of Get Safe Online this year is rogue apps on smart phones, resulting in huge monthly bills. Often masquerading as ‘free levels’ to popular and legitimate online games or security tools, these rogue apps disguise malicious software that, once installed, runs up huge phone bills for premium-rate text messages.

Minister for Cyber Security Francis Maude said: “More and more people are using their smart phone to transmit personal and financial information over the Internet, whether it’s for online banking, shopping or social networking. This latest research from Get Safe Online shows that 17% of smart phone users now use their phone for money matters and this doesn’t escape the notice of criminals. So while accessing the web via a mobile device can be fun and save time, it’s important to be vigilant. This week, we are encouraging everyone to take a few moments to visit www.getsafeonline.org and make sure they follow the right advice for using mobile devices securely and safely.” 

You can find more information on security solutions for small businesses here, and for medium-sized businesses here.