Kiwis urged to take cyber security seriously

Ripu Bhatia Reporter from North Shore Times

Kiwis are being advised to make sure they have basic cyber security safety measures in place.

CERT NZ spokesperson Nadia Yousef said with more people working from home due to the global pandemic there are higher risks.

“We know cyber attackers are opportunistic and are just waiting for people to let their guard down,” she said.

“While we are optimistic that Kiwi businesses have heard the cyber security message, the last thing online businesses or people working and learning from home need right now is to suffer a cyber security attack and have to cope with the huge disruptions that follow.”

Yousef said cyber attacks can result in loss of personal information and records, income, assets, productivity or customer trust and goodwill.

“Backing up your information and records, having strong passwords that aren’t used on multiple accounts, making sure apps and devices have got the latest updates installed, and making sure two-factor authentication is used wherever possible are critical habits to get into,’ she said.

“Businesses and organisations should make sure their remote access systems are as secure as they can be and pay very careful attention to emails requesting payment or personal information, particularly invoices.”

CERT NZ‘s website contains cyber security tips for businesses and individuals.

Kiwis can report incidents online or call 0800 CERT NZ, Monday to Friday, 7am – 7pm.