Supporting Cyber Security Awareness Month 2024

Optus is marking this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Month by celebrating its Digital Thumbprint Program which has educated over 641,000* students since its launch in 2013.

The theme of Cyber Security Awareness Month this year is “cyber security is everyone’s business”.

The Department of Home Affairs has outlined  “Protecting yourself online doesn’t have to be hard. There are simple things you, your family, friends and colleagues can do to improve your cyber security.” Including installing software updates when available.

It’s important to keep your software up to date as outdated software is a common target for attackers and so delaying updates leaves your devices and data at risk.

In addition, the Department outlined the following areas that are important for everyone’s online security:

• Enable multi-factor authentication
• Use strong and unique passphrases
• Recognise and report phishing

Optus Digital Thumbprint

The Optus Digital Thumbprint program has a range of free resources that can help children and families to be safe online with a range of workshops and free materials.

Let’s take a look at how Digital Thumbprint’s free resources can help you and your family ward off online threats.

Strong passphrases and Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)

It’s important to create strong passphrases and passwords and use multifactor authentication wherever you can.

A strong passphrase or password boosts your online protection and multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds that extra layer of security.

Many people use identical login credentials for multiple accounts. While this is a common practice, it significantly compromises security.

If you're currently using easily ‘guessable’ information like birthdates or pet names as passwords, you'll find the following recommendations particularly valuable. Implementing these security measures will help safeguard your personal data from unauthorised access.

Digital Thumbprint has resources on the topic of Passphrases, passwords and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)  for young people as a guide and quiz as well as a guide for families to learn about online safety. These free tools will help you to strengthen your defences against potential cyber threats and so reduce the risk of your accounts being compromised by hackers or scammers.

Strong passphrases or passwords

A few things that your whole family could improve today:

• Replace your passwords with more secure, unpredictable passphrases
• They should be different for all your accounts
• Contain a mix of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols
• Avoid using your name, birthday, pet’s name or other personal information
• Change your passphrases and passwords regularly
• Keep them somewhere safe or use a password manager
• Keep your devices updated with the latest security downloads

How to use multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a login process designed to provide additional security for users and their accounts.

A key part of its security is the fact that it asks for two or more of the following:

• Something you know - passwords, answers to secret questions, keystroke patterns, personal identification numbers (PIN)
• Something you have - SMS or email PIN (from authenticator or token-generating apps), ID card, bank card (this might be your parent’s)
• Something you are - fingerprints, face, eyes, voice (biometrics)

The Digital Thumbprint guide also provides tips for what to do if you’ve been hacked.

To find out more about protecting your identity with passphrases, passwords and MFA see the full guide.

What is personal information?

It's worth mentioning the sort of information that we should all protect carefully:

• Full name
• Parents’ names
• Date of birth
• Phone number/s
• Home address
• Location check-ins
• Event RSVPs
• School
• Email address
• Photos
• Usernames, passwords or passphrases
• Bank account details

Recognising and reporting phishing

Phishing is a type of online scam. In other words, it’s a trick that cybercriminals or other ‘bad actors’ use to pretend that they’re trustworthy entities to trick people into revealing sensitive or personal information by interacting with them online in some way.

Phishing attacks can target individuals, or organisations, and are one of the most common and effective methods for cybercriminals to gain unauthorised access to secure systems and personal accounts.

These fraudulent attempts can come as emails, text messages, or websites that appear legitimate but are designed to steal personal data such as login credentials, financial information, or other confidential details. Increasingly the scammers make it very hard to distinguish fake from real communications, making it hard to distinguish which links are safe.

Making matters worse, the scammers often use techniques to create a sense of urgency or curiosity designed to get the recipient to click on malicious links, download infected attachments, or provide information directly. The time pressure element means victims are less likely to stop and consider whether the link is bona fide.

The Digital Thumbprint guide, Stay ahead of scams through family discussions, covers how to protect yourself and your family from many types of scams including phishing. A common phishing scam is one that is linked to online shopping.

Shopping scams can often focus on the target’s need to find a bargain or very rare item. The scam email or text will often contain a phishing link, and once clicked, will collect personal information.  Another method asks for payment upfront, requiring banking or credit card details that the cybercriminal will use fraudulently. Either way, the scammer will not send the target the purchase.  

Scams and how to deal with them

One way to discover that you've been scammed by phishing (or other scams):

• Your device is performing actions that you have not initiated, or you notice the cursor moving without you having moved It.
• Unknown transactions appear on your financial statements
• Strange messages are sent from your own or your child's social media or email account to their contacts (often includes a phishing link)
• You receive a notification of a login attempt, or you are locked out of your computer or online accounts.
• Apps or programs that you did not download are Installed on your device
• You have not received promised money, products or services.

Keep you and your family safe from scams

An important way to keep your identity safe online – and that of your family - is to discuss online scams including phishing, with their children regularly, so they are better protected in their digital environment.

The Stay ahead of scams through family discussions guide will assist everyone in the family to learn about:

• Why it’s important to always be prepared for scams
• Identifying the most common types of scams and how scammers contact your family
• Taking steps to protect themselves from scammers
• Finding more help if you need it

Scammers exploit G.A.P.S.

The guide will also help families to spot a scam using the G.A.P.S. method, whereby scammers:

Gain trust – make themselves seem trustworthy

Appeal to your emotions – use ploys to counter scepticism

Procedure change – insist on their verification procedures for example, a new website or phone number

Speed – create a sense of urgency to avoid scrutiny or hesitation

What to do if you are being scammed

• Stop all contact with the scammer
• Don’t pay and don’t give into their demands
• Change all passwords and passphrases
• Collect evidence and report it

Digital Thumbprint resources

For young people:

• Blocking unwanted contact guide
• Cyberbullying quiz
• Cyberbullying: what to do when things go wrong guide
• Digital Balance quiz
• Fake friends and fake profiles quiz
• Hackers, scammers and fake friends guide
• Lifehacks for a balanced time online guide
• Passphrases, passwords and MFA guide and quiz
• Protecting personal information quiz
• Scammers and fake friends quiz

For families:

• Balancing time online guide
• Blocking unwanted contact for your child guide
• Cyberbullying: What to say when things go wrong online guide
• First Phone Readiness guide and quiz
• Passphrases, passwords and MFA for your child guide
• Recognising hackers, scammers and fake friends guide
• Safeguard your child’s privacy on popular apps and games guide
• Stay ahead of scams through family discussions guide

Further resources

eSafety Commissioner to report cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and illegal and restricted content

Australian Cyber Security Centre - Auto report cybercrime, including online threats and abuse, scams and hacks, data breaches, identity theft and fraud.

Scamwatch to report scams.

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation to report online grooming and inappropriate contact

IDCARE to get identity theft, data breach, scam and cyber security support.

If your child needs to talk to someone about their feelings or worries, they can contact:

Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 for free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling services.

13YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7) for a free, private and confidential talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

*As at the end of September 2024.