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Cyber Scotland Week 2021

For this year’s Cyber Scotland Week, we made 5 infographics and 5 short videos with the key online security messages. You can find these items below. To save the infographics to your computer, right click on the picture and click ‘save as’. Feel free to share these with your contacts.

Creating Strong and Unique Passwords

Strong and unique Passwords - Lead Scotland Use a different password for each website Make each password unique for each site and pay special attention to your email account password as it will help you access your other accounts. Try using 3 random words for a password Think of 3 unrelated words and put them together with numbers and symbols. For example: ChocolatePillowHamster3* The longer, the better Try to use at least 8 characters and longer if possible. Even an extra 1 or 2 characters can drastically increase the strength of your password. Test the strength of your password at: www.howsecureismypassword.net Don't use familiar words Don't use your name or your family's names, important birthdays, your favourite sports team or your pet's name. Don't use the word 'password' or '123456'. www.lead.org.uk

Remember your Passwords

Remember your Passwords Top Tips from Lead Scotland Use a password manager. Use a free external password manager like Last Pass, Key Pass or McAfee True Key. They store all your passwords and you need one password to access them. Make sure this password is very strong and don't use it for any other website. Save your passwords to your browser. Let your web browser (such as Chrome, Safari or Edge) remember your password for you. Click 'yes' when they ask if you want to save the password (not if you're on a public computer). Use 2 step authentication. If a website or app asks you to turn on 2 step authentication, this means using your mobile number, biometrics (e.g. fingerprints) or a passcode made up of numbers as well as your email to get access. As a last resort, write it down. Try all the other options first. If you are really struggling, you could write down your passwords and put them somewhere safe and away from any digital devices. It is better to write down a strong password, then hide it, than use a weak one. www.lead.org.uk

Spotting Fake Websites

Websites: Real or fake? Top tips from Leed Scotland Is the website address correct? If you search for it using Google, does it match with an official source? Look for the padlock and https:// in the website URL. The 's' stands for secure. It doesn't guarantee safety but it's a good start. How complete is the website? Make sure the site has several ways of contacting them in the 'contact us' page and the other pages are complete, especially if it's a shopping website. Is it asking you to pay via bank transfer? It's safer to use payment systems like Paypal. Does it seem too good to be true? Have you won something or found a bargin that seems too cheap? You lose nothing by walking away. www.lead.org.uk

Email Scams

Email scams: what to look out for. Top tips from Lead Scotland. If an email looks like it's from an organisation you know, make sure the email address is correct. Use Google to check. Be suspicious of emails which address you as 'customer', that have lots of spelling mistakes or where the use of English sounds odd. Notice if the email is making you feel anxious or rushed. An email from a trusted organisation should always give you lots of notice of actions you must take. Be wary of anyone asking for personal information or bank details by email. Don't open attachments or click on links unless you're sure you know and trust the sender. www.lead.org.uk

Cyber Attacks

Cyber Attacks. Top tips from Lead Scotland. Keep your data backed up Keep a copy of your information saved to an external device or to cloud storage (online). This will help you recover quicker if your data is lost or stolen. Install anti-virus software This can help keep you protected from email scams and getting your passwords stolen and give warnings about fake websites. There are free and paid options for different devices. We suggest doing some research to find the best one for you. Update your devices Out-of-date software, apps, and operating systems are easier to hack. Turn on automatic updates on your devices. These updates help fix the weaknesses. Call the police to report criminal activity and access emotional support Someone who steals your information or bank details has committed a crime. Report what happened to the police by calling 101 or to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Talk to someone you trust if you're feeling stressed and worried or access Victim Support at www.victimsupport.scot