With one in six Brits falling victim to cyber crime, Notts Police's pre-crime manager Sam Hancock offers advice on how to avoid joining them
How many times a day do you look at your phone to make a call, text, or check social media? Technology is changing our lives, and with this change comes a change in crime and the way we police it.
Cyber crime is a term used to define any crime that takes place online (anything from hacking a social media account, to setting up a fake profile on a dating site, to cyberbullying), and it is becoming more and more common thanks to our increasing dependence on the Internet in our daily lives.
I know a few people who have fallen for the 'ransomware' cyber attack, in which they have opened an email attachment which has enabled a Trojan to be downloaded to your computer, and the receiver is then held at ransom to pay to have their computer unlocked.
A common misconception is that cyber crime only happens to 'vulnerable' people and/or those not familiar with the World Wide Web, but it really can happen to anyone. International corporations, such as eBay and Sony, have been targeted, as well as websites including our own. This just goes to show that everyone is vulnerable to it.
Cyber crime offenders are often anonymous, hiding behind IP addresses and HTML code. Don't give them a way in. Ensure you have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on your computer. As insurance, make sure you back-up your precious data such as photos.
Try to avoid opening emails from senders you don't recognise, no matter how tempting the subject line may be. Certainly don't open attachments from unsolicited senders and never share your bank details with them.
If you have children, think about activating parental settings with your internet provider and ensure your children are aware of the perils of ne'er-do-wells masquerading as peers under fake profiles.
With Christmas just around the corner, please pay extra attention to your online security. If, like me, you leave it to the last minute and do the majority of your shopping online, always make sure the URL of the payment screen starts with 'https'. That 's' denotes a secure page and should, by rights, protect your details.
Fraudsters will do all they can in an attempt to trick you. And don't forget hacking can extend to webcams, as illustrated in the news recently.
Online security is about being proactive rather than reactive. Being a victim of cyber crime can be extremely damaging. Life savings can be drained, personal details and documents can be accessed and even personal safety can be compromised. So, please don't ignore it, secure it.
Want to know more? We now have a webpage full of useful tips on how to protect yourself online at http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/cybercrime. Otherwise check out the Action Fraud website at www.actionfraud.police.uk
