Security
In the past year schools and businesses have lost thousands of dollars due to fraudulent activity either through malware infecting their computers or unauthorised users having access to their mailing accounts.
So how does this happen?
Malware, which is short for Malicious Software, is a form of computer software which can be used to compromise computer functions, steal data, bypass access controls, or otherwise cause harm to the host computer. Malware is a broad term that refers to a variety of malicious programs. Some of these different types of malware include:
- adware
- bots
- bugs
- rootkits
- spyware
- Trojan horses
- viruses
- worms
In addition to having a weak password, you could be potentially opening up the door to having someone gain unauthorised access to your account. To learn more about the different types of Malware infections you can check out this article.
How do I prevent a malware infection?
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication. Multi-factor authentication is a method in which you need two passwords to gain access to your account. Mostly all banks have this enabled on their system now, and you are probably already using it. When you login to your bank or transfer funds, your bank will send you a text message with a special code. You then need to type in the special code to proceed with your login or money transfer. Multi-factor works in the same way with your account. In order to log in to your Office 365 account, you need to type in your password as well as a special code which changes every 30 seconds which can either be sent to you in a text message or displayed to you on a special application on your phone.
- Never open an email attachment from a sender you do not recognize. If in doubt call the recipient to confirm.
- Make sure your password has the following characteristics. At least eight digits long, Contains a capital letter, contains a special character, contains a number and is NOT the name of a person.
- Change your password on a regular basis, the more regular you change it, the safer your account is.
- Never transfer money to another person without confirming the transfer details with the other person via a phone call.
ITdynamics strongly recommend enabling multi-factor authentication for your school/organisation to prevent unauthorised access to your account. At a minimum, we recommend to enable it for your admin staff. To have this done by our team please visit this link
If you think you have been affected by Malware, do not risk losing your valuable data. Contact our friendly team at ITdynamics on 1300 200 884 today.
