Ever heard about the “Hi Mum” scam? People received messages via Whatsapp and SMS from scammers who pretended to be children and asked for emergency funds. The scam ended up costing Aussies $7.2 million!
75% of Aussies feel that data breaches are one of the biggest privacy risks they face today.
To help you become cybersecurity aware and feel confident with protecting your information and finances, we gathered some tips from Beforepay Chief Technology Office (CTO), Rajini Carpenter! Check out our conversation with Rajini below 👇
In this edition of The Beforepay Beat:
Cybersecurity is so broad, and it can get quite technical, so we asked Rajini to break it down and share some practical tips for keeping our information safe.
Just like you wouldn’t leave the door of your home unlocked, cybersecurity is the lock that protects your technology and devices to keep your personal information and data from getting stolen.
We're increasingly living our lives online, from shopping and banking to socialising and entertainment, so security in the virtual space equates to security in our daily lives.
If you ever have a suspicion or feel uneasy about a situation, it's best to be on the side of caution.
Recognising scams can sometimes be challenging because people are becoming more sophisticated with their tactics, but some common indicators of scams are:
Having different passwords protects you from minimising the attack surface. In other words, if one account gets hacked, the others are still protected!
I tend to use a long sentence with a mix of numbers and characters. The longer and complex the password, the harder it gets for brute force attacks.
You can also use a password manager tool to generate a random password for you.
Whether you’re doing a bit of retail therapy or decorating your space, there are things to consider before you click ‘Buy Now’.
One other trick I always have under my hat is to use a virtual credit card. And always check your bank statement regularly to make sure you haven’t been charged for incorrect amounts or purchases.
Want to know more about keeping your information safe online? Check out our full Q&A with Rajini on the Beforepay blog.
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In the year 2000, a computer virus named "ILOVEYOU" spread rapidly through Windows computers.
The virus arrived in emails with the subject line "ILOVEYOU" and lured users to open an attached document, which was supposedly a sweet love letter.
Within ten days, about 50 million computers got infected, and it's believed that up to 10% of all internet-connected computers worldwide fell victim to this digital cupid!
Having a savings bucket could equip you with a safety net for when life throws unexpected expenses your way. In cases of fraudulent transactions or tricky scams, this can come in particularly handy, setting you up with an emergency fund to tide you over.
Getting into the habit of budgeting could help you build your emergency savings account over time. There are plenty of tools you can use for budgeting, like the budgeting tool in the Beforepay app!
Through spending categories and goals you can customise and monitor, you can use Beforepay to build positive money habits now so that when the unexpected strikes, you're prepared to face it head-on.
Sign up or log in to Beforepay now to try out the budgeting tool!