đ Protect Yourself Online from Emerging Threats
1. Data Leaks & Phishing Threats
A recent data breach revealed 16âŻbillion records compromised, triggering a wave of phishing and tech support scams nordlayer.com+9reddit.com+9reddit.com+9theguardian.comthesun.co.uk. Never click suspicious linksâalways verify via official sites.
2. Strong Authentication Is Essential
Experts advise turning on two-factor authentication (2FA) using authenticator apps (not SMS) and using unique passwords in a password manager to block credentials misuse theguardian.com+3thesun.co.uk+3equifax.co.uk+3.
3. Rising Business Cyber Breaches
43% of UK businesses and 30% of charities experienced a cyber breach in 2024âmainly due to phishing binaryblue.co.uk+2infosecurity-magazine.com+2twenty-four.it+2. The typical cost per attack was ÂŁ10,830, with phishing responsible for 85% of incidents twenty-four.it+2ansecurity.com+2binaryblue.co.uk+2.
4. Identity Fraud Trends
Identity fraud accounted for 64% of 374,000 reported cases in 2023. With AI-enhanced scams on the rise, stay alert and regularly check credit reports cifas.org.uk.
5. Personal Security Actions:
Activate MFA across all accounts reddit.com+3reddit.com+3nordlayer.com+3
Avoid public Wi-Fi or use a VPN equifax.co.uk+1cpa.co.uk+1
Monitor accounts and use a credit freeze if compromised binaryblue.co.uk+10forbes.com+10reddit.com+10