Software company NortonLifeLock has advised Kiwis that education is key to protecting private data – with some vital tips that brokers can pass on to clients.
Norton emphasised that the well-known statement “there is no privacy without cyber security” must be conscientiously and constantly applied to be effective.
“We can all play a part in ensuring the true convergence of privacy and security, this will be critical to technological innovation and, importantly, the building of trust,” Dyann Heward-Mills, chief executive officer at Heward-Mills and global data protection officer at NortonLifeLock, said.
She noted the dangers of clicking on links and opening email attachments from unknown senders either as an automatic reflex or out of curiosity as well as not backing up files – exposing the user to ransomware.
Last year, New Zealand’s Ministry of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media advocated good cyber practices.
“New Zealand is becoming a digital nation. Cyber security is not simply an IT issue – it’s critical for every business and for every person living, working or visiting New Zealand. New Zealand’s cyber security policy is therefore about making the most of the opportunities that the internet provides and protecting the things most important to us,” the ministry said.
Norton said victims of ransomware should have a recent backup as it could help them restore data encrypted by cybercriminals.
“Not having backup may push you to pay a ransom, moreover without any guarantee that you will be able to decrypt what was compromised,” the software company explained. “Let’s therefore resolve at the beginning of 2020, to adapt to the risks of the cyber environment, and to adopt a healthful cyber-hygiene and security posture for ourselves and our families.”
