With cyber criminals evolving into sophisticated new territory and Canadians exposing themselves more than ever with online shopping and delivery services, social media, phones and computers, anyone is vulnerable to having their personal information compromised.
In fact, nearly half of Canadians—47 per cent—are worried about becoming a victim of cybercrime in the coming year, according to a recent poll from RBC, despite 71 per cent saying they feel knowledgeable when it comes to personal cybersecurity.
“This survey suggests there is a disconnect between what most Canadians believe they know about cybersecurity and what they actually understand about the cybersecurity landscape,” says Adam Evans, Chief Information Security Officer at RBC.
“The level of knowledge we have on how to protect ourselves in that new world has not kept pace with how fast we’re consuming new technologies.”
In partnership with Evans and RBC, we look at how Canadians can protect themselves from cyberattacks and cybercrime.
Practicing basic cyber-hygiene
Since 2015, online scams have risen by more than 87 per cent, according to the Better Business Bureau, and the methods used to target people have changed dramatically. Some of the top concerns around cyber threats and security coming out of RBC’s poll include unauthorized access to online accounts or personal information, identity theft, email and social media hacks, and being the victim of an online fraud or scam. According to Evans, protecting yourself against cybercrime can be broken down into what he calls “basic cyber-hygiene” practices.
Those include using multi-factor authentication when available, changing passwords periodically and using a strong password generator, using antivirus software — and keeping it updated. Unfortunately, younger Canadians may be lacking in the latter. Just over one third of those aged 18-34 say they routinely update their software, and change their passwords periodically.
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To compare, older generations 35-54 and 55+ are more likely to update antivirus software installed on devices (45 per cent and 67 per cent, respectively) and to change their passwords periodically (50 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively).
“All of our devices can be set to auto update,” Evans adds. “That just means one less thing for us to think about in all of this technology that we’re running.”
Other ways to protect yourself include avoiding public Wi-Fi or using it only for non-sensitive use, staying alert for unfamiliar texts or emails (and deleting them without opening), and to educate yourself about cyber-criminality.
Making a cybersecurity plan
Even though Canadians aged 55+ are more likely to be concerned about cyber threats, emerging methods and sophisticated criminals target all age groups. These tactics go beyond better-known methods like malware and ransomware and include newer harms like pharming and vishing.
“They are creating what we would refer to as ‘crime as a service’, this underground economy that criminals are getting involved in, and they’ve built in platforms that allow them to collect all this data that every one of us creates,” Evans explains.
“It’s quite serious. When you suffer some sort of cyber event, recovery can be incredibly difficult.”
Evans suggests everyone should make a cybersecurity plan. Consider including a cyber protection plan through your insurance policy, but even more importantly, come up with a strategy to put those basic hygiene practices into place and know what to do if you do become compromised.
“Before the compromise happens you want to have a plan,” he emphasizes. “Do you know how to change your credentials? Could you spot the compromise? Are you monitoring your online accounts?”
Some immediate steps he recommends if you are compromised include notifying your financial institution and changing all your passwords. And if you think your identity has been compromised, you may want to look into an identity-protection service to help recover stolen information.
Meanwhile, Evans advises everyone to take cybersecurity information into their own hands and to educate themselves as much as possible. As a starting point, he recommends subscribing to tech-savvy newsletters or incorporating news and social media feeds that cover the topic as part of your personal routine.
“If we start consuming it like regular news, it gets embedded into our daily life and becomes part of our culture as a family and in the workplace,” he says. “The more informed an individual is, the better decisions we can make on how we want to protect ourselves.”
He also points Canadians in the direction of The Vault, a new best practices document with a comprehensive checklist of what Canadians should consider when setting up a new device or configuring existing technology.
“Education is really the first step, and if you’re going to utilize technology, you need to educate yourself about the pitfalls.”
Visit RBC’s Be Cyber Aware site for more tips and articles on how to protect yourself online.
The content in this publication is for general information only. It is not intended to provide any legal, cyber security or other professional advice and should not rely upon the information as a complete analysis of the subject matter discussed.