The Nation Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) is a government organisation that advises on how to stay secure online.

The NSCS has published a Cyber Aware article, which has been in the press and on TV recently. The government lists six main steps for best practice on how to stay safe online, which correlate with our recommendations from earlier this year: Advice on working from home and PWC business leaders survey on remote working.

The NSCS says can improve your cyber security by taking these six actions:

1. Use a strong and separate password for your online accounts (eg email)
   Passwords should be strong, with a mix of letters and numbers. Different passwords should be used across accounts.
2. Create strong passwords using three random words
   A recommendation to remember passwords is to use three different words, for example WhiteCurtainPhone. Using a mix of words makes it personal to you and harder for hackers to guess. Numbers and special characters can be added to strengthen passwords even more.
3. Save your passwords in your browser
   Allowing browsers such as Chrome or Edge to save your passwords helps keep them secure and can be used across devices if you logged into that browser.
4. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)
   A 2019 report from Microsoft concluded that 2FA, aka multi-factor authentication (MFA), blocks 99.9% of automated attacks. 2FA asks for more information to prove your identity, such as a code that gets sent to your phone or use of an authentication app.
5. Regularly run updates
   Out-of-date software, apps, and operating systems are vulnerable and susceptible to attacks.
6. Back up your data
   Creating a backup of recent data is extremely important to keep data safe. If any data is lost or deleted it can be easily recoverable if backed up. Data can be backed up via a physical drive or via the Cloud online. Please see more about our Computer Backup, Cloud Backup and Custom Backup services.

You can get a tailored compliance ‘to do’ list for your business or to discuss best practices to keep your organisation safe online, please contact us.