Safer Internet Day

Today marks Safer Internet Day. This day promotes the responsibility of both adults and young people in creating a safer space online.

Each year, people from all over the world come together to spread awareness and celebrate Safer Internet Day.

In today’s day and age, people of all ages move towards a more digital way of life. From mobile phones to work laptops and gaming devices, electronic devices are intertwined with our daily lives.

Now more than ever, safe internet use and cybersecurity have never had such importance. So much of our personal and professional data can be accessed through the internet. This means internet safety and cyber security should be at the forefront of our minds.

Although technology keeps us entertained and makes our lives easier, it also has its complications.

Whilst individuals must follow best practices to protect themselves, businesses must do this to protect sensitive data. Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to reflect on how we can all promote the responsible use of technologies.

Does your business operate on safe practices?

Horizon WIFI

Is your public WIFI secure?

As the provider of public WIFI, do you have the correct measures in place? If not, this could leave you accountable for any illegal or inappropriate activity on your account.

Horizon public WIFI is traceable. This means you can provide a public wireless solution to your customers with peace of mind you are fully protected. If someone looks at inappropriate material, you can provide this information to the authorities. Furthermore, using content filtering you can prevent these people from ever getting access.

Here at Social Plus, we are part of The Unite Group. This means that as a group we can offer a range of technology solutions to help support your business. Our Horizon public WIFI product is secure, intelligent, and perfect for direct marketing.

Visit our website to learn more about Horizon WIFI or contact The Unite Group on 0191 466 1050.

Phishing Emails

It’s always important for both individuals and employees to be on the lookout for phishing emails. Phishing emails are categorised as a cybercrime that contacts its target via email. The sender uses this form of attack to gain and exploit personal or sensitive business information.

There are 3 types of phishing emails to look out for:

Spear phishing – an attempt directed at a particular individual or company.

Clone phishing – hackers use a legitimate, previously delivered, part of online correspondence to create almost identical emails.

Whaling – an attempt directed specifically at a senior executive or high-profile target within the business.

For businesses, it’s important to make sure employees are aware of phishing emails and how to spot them. As an individual, never click any links or give any personal information to a sender you are unsure of.

Weak Passwords

We understand that when it comes to creating a password, you want to make it something memorable. But if it’s easy for you to remember, it’s also easy for a hacker to guess.

A lot of people make their passwords something personal, for example, the name of a beloved family pet. However, we need to keep in mind that this information is easy to find. A lot of our personal information is easily accessible online via social media.

Strong passwords are essential in keeping private or sensitive data safe.

In the spirit of Safer Internet Day, why not double-check that your passwords comply with best practices?

We suggest you create strong passwords by following the below steps:

• Use a combination of upper-and lower case letters.
• Include numbers.
• Include special characters (symbols).
• Never include any personal information.
• Never use the same password for different applications.
• Ensure your passwords are at least 12 characters long.

Cyber Essentials

As part of the Unite Group, we understand the many cyber threats that businesses face day in and day out.

We believe businesses should go the extra mile when it comes to cyber security. One way of doing this is to obtain the Cyber Essentials certification.

A foundation-level certificate protects your business from 80% of the most basic cyber security breaches.

You don’t need to be an experienced information security professional or have any technical knowledge to become Cyber Essentials certified; we can help! Our in-house qualified Cyber Essentials assessors are here to assist you throughout the entire process.

From hosted telephone systems to email; IT support to cloud services; leased lines to cybersecurity; to broadband.

We’ll set you up with quality, efficient, and cost-effective tech, and then we’ll keep it all running smoothly.

Visit our website for more information.