American drama series Mr Robot focuses on the world of cyber security expert and hacker Elliot Alderson. Tech adviser on the show, Kor Adana, has revealed his top ten tips to avoid falling foul of a cyber attack.

1. Double Up On Passwords
   

   If your email accounts or Amazon accounts or social media accounts offer two-step verification, I would enable it.

2. But Never Use The Same One Twice
   

   Use a different, complex, strong password for each account that you have. A lot of people make the mistake of using the same password for all their accounts, so if one of those gets compromised the hacker can just try that password on all your other accounts and end up completely onto you.

3. Take Your Mobile Security Seriously
   

   Use complex pin codes and unlock patterns on your mobile device.
   You have a lot of apps on there that store cash credentials for your accounts, so if someone is able to unlock your mobile device you’re giving them the keys to the castle.

4. Don’t Over Share on Social Media
   

   If I can guess what your mother’s maiden name [a commonly used security question] it is because you post on social media a lot about your mum and you happen to include her maiden name on there.

5. Answer Security Questions Clearly
   

   I would be very aware of the security questions that you use for your accounts. Make sure it’s not easy to guess the answers.

6. Keep Updated
   

   People need to keep their software up to date. Get into the habit of updating to the latest versions of apps on your phone, and OSs on your machines and on your tablets.

7. Don’t Fall For Email Scams
   

   Don’t actually click links in emails. Don’t make yourself a target for fishing scams. Even if emails appear to seem legitimate, get into the habit of mousing over links and see if the url address is in the same text as the actual link. If you’re still unsure, copy and paste the link just so you know where you’re going.

8. Keep Your Anti-Virus Up To Date
   

   If you’re up to date with the software and you’re using good security practices, the odds of you getting compromised go down. People always talk about putting tape over your webcam, but if someone has access to your webcam they probably have access to your microphone and your files.

9. Always Go Secure
   

   Make sure you connect to secure Wi-Fi networks. Don’t use non-secure Wi-Fi network.

   If you need to go on secure accounts while connected to Wi-Fi, we recommend doing so using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

10. Be Smart
    

    If you’re running antivirus and up to date anti-malware tools and make sure all your programs are up to date, that’s a good way of keeping yourself safe. Just make smart decisions to try to prevent an attack from happening. If that does happen, wipe your system clean and try to start again and use some better security procedures.

More information on Kor Adana’s top 10 cyber security tips can be found here.

For more information about our work, please visit www.safeinwarwickshire.com/cybercrime

Be Cyber Streetwise is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. Their website offers advice on how you can protect yourself, your computers and devices, and your business against the likes of fraud, identity theft, viruses and other potential online problems.