Cyber risk
Cyber threats are attacks that happen online. They can target important services, businesses, and people. In the UK, cyber-attacks have affected hospitals, universities, councils, and shops.
What can happen?
- hospitals and emergency services may be disrupted
- personal or bank details can be stolen
- people or businesses may lose money because of ransomware (criminals demand payment)
- people may lose trust in online systems
- shops and businesses may have to stop selling online
What can you do?
- use strong passwords. The NCSC suggests using three random words (like “BallDogRed”) to make a password that is easy to remember but hard to guess
- keep your devices and software updated
- back up important files to a safe place, like an external hard drive or cloud storage
- be careful with emails, texts, or calls asking for personal details
- share less personal information online, use privacy settings on social media
- visit the NCSC Cyber Aware website for easy guides to keep your devices safe
- report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
- check if your email or passwords have been leaked using Have I Been Pwned
- if you think you’ve been a victim of cybercrime, contact Action Fraud
- report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding them to 7726
You can stay up to date with the latest Cyber threats by visiting NCSC Cyber Aware news section: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/keep-up-to-date/ncsc-news