Cybercrime has increased during the pandemic as criminals have seized the opportunity to prey on staff working from home while many offices shut down during lockdowns.

In some recent high-profile cases, criminals have accessed company systems and forced them to pay a ransom to unlock them.

Cybercrime can be lucrative. The Australian Cyber Security Centre estimates it costs Australians at least $300 million annually, and this figure is expected to increase. So, ensuring both your personal and business data are secure should be a key priority.

Here are some simple things you can do:

On top of all this, stop and think about the emails, SMS and phone calls you receive and remain vigilant for phishing - a cybercrime in which targets are contacted by email, phone or text by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.

If you have any doubts to the authenticity of an email, message or call you receive, don't click any links or provide any information.

You can always go back to the organisation to check with them the need to divulge any information.

Cybersecurity can be a complex area, but it is worth the effort to make yourself as secure as possible.

If you would like to find out more about protecting your business, email Findex at albury@findex.com.au