With 2019 in full swing, resolutions being put into practice and holiday blues setting in, I challenge you to add some different resolutions onto that list of yours, next to the “go to gym four times a week”.

Hopefully you have already implemented many more best practices to stay cyber safe, this list is just to continue this through the new year and to add onto your knowledge.

Unlike the Grinch who had a change of heart at the end of the book, a hacker who takes advantage of this busy time, has a one-track mind, and that is to take as much as possible.

You need to be on guard for both your actual and virtual world. Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, understanding that to participate in the festivities, you need to be equipped for the threats that cybercriminals plant for unsuspecting victims to fall for. The month of December is the busiest shopping time of the year and the biggest cybercrime hotspot.

Online shopping has become so much more accessible and convenient. With multiple devices to choose from to do your shopping; laptops, tablets, cellphones and desktops, this leaves you more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Managed encryption is crucial to have on all your devices, especially if one is stolen. With J2 managed encryption, your data will be kept safe and inaccessible to cyber criminals.

It is that time of the year again, when annual leave is being cashed in for some relaxation and holiday fun.

As you know, hackers don’t take leave, this time of the year can provide them massive pay days if your defence mentality goes on holiday. The holidays are a lucrative time of year for the cyber attacker. Festive season online shopping has their malware busy, be sure not to add to their ever-growing gift pile.

The out-of-office automated emailer may seem like the right thing to do, you know, so that clients or co-workers emailing you will know that you are out of office. However, think long and hard about what sorts of information you provide in your response. As with unsolicited calls and emails, you must never give any information that the person on the other side does not need to know. This can pose a massive security risk.

These seemingly harmless automated replies can potentially reveal large amounts of sensitive data about you to anyone.

Cyber Monday has surpassed Black Friday in terms of sales, you are preferring to shop the deals in the comfort of your own home rather than facing the masses, this means that your card details and personal information is being used a lot more in order to complete purchases.

Many of you may wake up on this Tuesday with a wallet ache, maybe you needed that extra washing machine or maybe you were just in such a frenzy, clicking “add to cart” that you don’t even know why you bought it.

Now that the dust has settled and your credit card is maxed, it’s time to do some security damage control to make 100% sure that you are breach free.