Team Cuckoo | Cuckoo HQ
Staying one step ahead of the latest threats is more important than ever, as cyber criminals find new ways to try and get their grubby hands on our personal info.
To help you stay safe online, we’ve listed out the top five security risks you’ll face, as well as the best ways to steer well clear of them. Shout out to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), who helped inspire these – for even more security tips, check out their website.
Risk: Generic and easy-to-guess passwords make it way easier for cyber criminals to get into your accounts.
Protection: A solid password is still the #1 one way to protect yourself online. The NCSC recommends using three random words to create something strong and memorable, like “Hippo!PizzaRocket1”. Or try using a password manager that will keep track of all your passwords for you. (Anyone else now just thinking about pizza?)
Risk: When cyber criminals send fake emails or messages to try and trick you into revealing personal info or clicking on dangerous links.
Protection: Be super cautious of any emails or messages that ask for personal info or have strange links. And whilst it can be easy to dismiss a message from your great aunt Mildred who just wants to leave you millions of pounds if you simply give her your bank details, it’s the messages that look and sound a bit like your actual bank or utility company that you want to be really suspicious of.
Always check the sender’s identity before handing any info over, and look out for telltale signs like bad grammar, spelling mistakes, or email addresses and logos that don’t look quite right.
Websites and emails have some tell-tale signs to look out for, read our blog here
Risk: Not upgrading your software can leave your devices vulnerable to cyber attacks, as they may have old security flaws that have been fixed in newer versions.
Protection: Keep your software regularly updated. Not just for your phone and laptop – you want to be using the newest versions of your apps too. That way, you’ll always have the latest security patches. Top tip: turn on automatic updates, so you never have to worry about missing out.
Cuckoo customers can easily update eero software. See how
Risk: Without two-factor authentication (2FA), your accounts are easier to break into.
Protection: Get 2FA on your important accounts, like email, credit cards and banking. 2FA adds that extra layer of security (often as simple as a code sent to your phone) which makes your most important info way more secure.
Risk: Using unsecured Wi-Fi networks, like the open Wi-Fi at your local café, can expose your personal info to any cyber criminals monitoring the network.
Protection: Avoid using public Wi-Fi for anything important or personal, like online banking or shopping. And if you must use it whilst sipping on your latte, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and protect your data.
That’s what everyone thinks before they end up getting their data stolen. But as scams become more and more sophisticated, we’re all much more vulnerable to falling for them. Don’t believe us? Read about these real-life scams, as reported by Which?
Read more security tips from the Cuckoo Team here
These days, it seems like you need a password for everything. Ordering food, paying bills, showing off your tan, you name it, you’ve got to enter the magical combination of letters, numbers and special characters.
Whether it’s catching up with mates, getting your hits on TikTok or finally mastering that ‘double under’ jump rope trick, we all love a bit of internet. But it also has a dark side. Luckily, the same bit of kit that gets you online can also help keep you safe from it.
If you have a smart home, you’ll know the joys of dimming your living room lights, putting the dishwasher on and turning up the heating, all with a few taps on your phone. But you might not know that these smart devices are also vulnerable to cyber attacks.