Create, connect and share respect – Safer Internet Day 2019

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Create, connect and share respect – Safer Internet Day 2019

Safer Internet Day 2019

On Tuesday, 5 February 2019 we are celebrating Safer Internet Day!

Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the safe and positive use of digital technology, and to explore the role we can all play in creating a better and safer internet in
our community.

Coordinated by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner in Australia and celebrated in over 130 countries, this year’s Safer Internet Day theme is: ‘Together for a better internet’.

We are encouraging all Australians to collaborate with their communities and support each other in developing the critical skills required to successfully navigate the online world.

These skills take time to develop but they can help us in all areas of life — online and off. We like
to call them the 4Rs…

  • Respect – I treat myself and others the way I like to be treated
  • Responsibility – I am accountable for my actions and I take a stand when I feel something is wrong
  • Reasoning – I question what is real
  • Resilience – I get back up from tough situations

CyberGuru is supporting Safer Internet Day by posting on blog articles about cyber safety and security and we encourage you to join in!

Help spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of a safer and more positive internet — you can participate in, run your own Safer Internet Day activity or simply start
a conversation in your community about the 4Rs and how you can come ‘Together for a better internet’.

To see what others are doing to promote Safer Internet Day or to find out how you can get involved, visit http://esafety.gov.au/saferinternetday/

Ask CyberGuru: Can I buy a similar domain name that is owned by another organisation?

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Ask CyberGuru

In this month’s Ask CyberGuru, we are asked the question, “Can I buy a com.au domain name that is similar to a org.au domain name owned by another organisation?”.

In terms of your question, a com.au domain name needs to be resemble your Australian business name or trademark. The auDA or Afilias (the name of the .au Domain Administration registry), the organisation is responsible for .au domain names, advises that com.au are for commercial organisations and org.au are for not-for-profit organisations. They advise that Australian domain names must have a “close and substantial connection” to the person or business intending to use it.

If this is the case, then you can likely purchase the .com.au domain name you are seeking, and you are welcome to do so through our CyberGuru Domains website. Upon registering you need to provide your Australian Business Number (ABN), which needs to be associated to this.

However, please be mindful that if another organisation is the has a similar domain name as yours, it may lead to confusion for your visitors and also be difficult to have a good search engine ranking in place if both organisations have similar domain names, so it may be better to consider choosing another name.

If you have any question that you would like to Ask CyberGuru, please contact us.

“Collection #1” Data breach lists 773 million accounts online

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“Collection #1” Data breach lists 773 million accounts online

Collection #1

Barely a day goes by without news of another data breach or new security issue. But late last week security researcher Troy Hunt announced the discovery of what is possibly the largest data breach ever. Known as Collection#1, the data breach contains approximately 773 million accounts online from multiple sources.

Collection #1 is a large collection of email addresses and passwords which was made available on a public hacking forum. It appears to consist of multiple breaches across several websites.

Since the original announcement by Hunt, it is further now understood Collection#1 is just one of seven collections, so it is likely that the number of breached accounts is likely to increase dramatically when the remaining collections become public.

The recommendations made are always:

  • Set strong passwords and don’t use the same passwords on multiple websites.
  • Change passwords where you may have used the same username and password.
  • Set up multi-factor authentication on your accounts to ensure that you require a secure code as well as your password.

We strongly suggest everyone review their accounts on the Have I Been Pawned? website (link opens in new window) to see if you have any vulnerable accounts. You can also check your password to see if it on any known exposure.

If we can be of any assistance to you in implementing these recommendations, or would like any further advice on cyber security, please let us know.

One year to go until Microsoft ends extended support for Windows 7

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One year to go until Microsoft ends extended support for Windows 7

One of the Microsoft’s most loved operating systems, Windows 7, has extended support close to ending. On 14 January 2020, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates and will stop providing assistance those using Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

NetMarketShare (link opens in new window) reports that as of December 2018, 40.86% are still using Windows 7, with Windows 10 close behind on 36.37%. 5.07% are running Windows 8.1.

Introduced nearly 10 years ago, Windows 7 improved on existing versions of Windows including Windows XP and Windows Vista. Microsoft also added many new features we are now take for granted, including touch capabilities, and others we have become more comfortable with, including Libraries in File Explorer.

According to the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet (link opens in new window), mainstream support for Windows 7 ended on 13 January 2015, with extended support ending 14 January 2020. For users running Windows 8.1, support ended on 9 January 2018 with extended support for 10 January 2023.

Over the coming year, we suggest all computers running Windows 7 are upgraded to Windows 10 or replaced with new computers depending on their age and purpose. We are happy to assist clients and advise the most appropriate requirements for their needs.

If we can be of assistance to upgrading you from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and in need of consulting, support or training to help you make the move to a modern desktop, please contact us.