Neighbourhood Watch responds to worrying findings about attitudes to cybersecurity with new PROTECT YOUR Pa$$W0rD campaign. With a staggering 1 in 5 people reporting to be a victim of cybercrime it is no surprise that over a third (34%) of people say they’re more concerned about cybercrime than physical crime.*

With Covid-19 national restrictions now in place an increasing number of people are more reliant than ever before on using online devices in our daily lives. It has never been more important to look after our security online as much as offline.

“You wouldn’t leave your front door open when you leave your house for criminals to walk right in. Having weak passwords is like leaving your digital front door open for cybercriminals to steal all your personal data and images. But just as there are easy steps we can take to keep our homes secure, there are also easy steps we can take today to keep our lives online secure.”

John Hayward -Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network

Neighbourhood Watch entered the cyber world with their Cyberhood Watch partnership with Avast in 2019. With the sea of confusing advice out there around cybersecurity, Neighbourhood Watch’s new Protect your Pa$$W0rD campaign aims to cut through the noise and focus on 3 simple, quick steps anyone can take today to help improve their online security.

Their fresh, thumb-stopping social campaign is aimed at the overwhelmed and the complacent alike. The campaign targets two different audiences based on their attitude to online security and how to overcome their respective hurdles. Audiences are directed to http://www.ourwatch.org.uk where they are presented with three easy steps to better online protection:

1. Create a separate password for your email account
2. Use 3 random words
3. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)

The first audience the campaign targets are those that may feel overwhelmed with everchanging password advice, not knowing where to start. The content will reassure them that they are not alone and direct them through each of the 3 simple steps.

The second audience focuses on those that feel that it won’t happen to them and may be delaying what they see as too much hassle to beef up their online security. The content aims to shock them into action, demonstrating how prevalent cybercrime is even amongst young people. They are
directed through the simple steps, showing how quick the process can be.

“We want to simplify the confusion surrounding online security and show how quick and easy it can be, so people feel empowered to act and seek support without embarrassment. As a well established, hyper-local and trusted community-based charity, we are also asking people to proactively support their neighbours and friends by sharing these 3 simple actions with a least 3 others.”

John Hayward -Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network

Neighbourhood Watch worked with award winning design agency TMW Unlimited to create the campaign utilising their iconic yellow and black colours, whilst delivering a contemporary look and feel with bold, eye-catching animations that have a simple message. In these changing times Neighbourhood Watch is working to keep our communities safe both
digitally and physically.

And the first easy step? Protect your email Pa$$W0rD!