Directors' Column

Over the last 12 months there has been a significant uplift in the number of cyber-attacks across the world and in the cyber space.

Australia is very much part of that scene where we are witnessing an increase in spam and attacks not only from emails but also more recently via our smart phones.

When living in the UK a few years ago, I was the target of an identity theft and while it was picked up early and the perpetrator was not successful in gaining a financial benefit, it did consume a significant amount of time on my behalf to resolve the matter.

At Bank First we take great effort to secure our Member data and have sophisticated preventative controls in an endeavour to thwart frequent activity.

The best preventative measure we all can take is to be very aware of suspicious emails, text messages and phone calls from organisations we are not familiar with. Some handy hints are:

• Always promptly download system updates for your device from the provider e.g. Apple, Samsung etc.
• If you are unsure of the contents of an email which requests/prompts you to click on a link, make sure you check the email address is authentic.
• Be careful of text messages from phone numbers or parties you do not know that request action such as clicking on a link. In today’s environment that is now high risk.
• If you are unsure of an email or text that requests action, it is best to make direct contact with the firm/company via the official website or phone number.
• Government departments do not call and request payments.

Read more fraud and scam tips on our website.

Graeme Willis