A UNIQUE series of guides have been produced to help educate Scots for the first time on how to better understand the complexities of the internet – and how to stay safe online.
The free single page factsheets – produced by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) – provide at-a-glance information for anyone wanting keeping private data out the hands of fraudsters, as well as helping parents to get to grips with the confusing world of social media which dominates the lives of young people.
The launch of the SBRC factsheets comes as a recent Cifas report* highlighted that social networks are becoming the feeding ground for unscrupulous fraudsters looking to accumulate as much easily gathered information about businesses and individuals as possible.
With basic explanations on how Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat work, as well as advice on how to use them and Wi-Fi securely – it is hoped the guides will equip individuals and businesses with the essentials to stay safe online.
Director of the SBRC Mandy Haeburn-Little, said: “The key thing here was to keep the factsheets as simple as possible, while providing real actionable tips and advice.
“In the information age a lot is taken for granted – including a belief that we should all know how to operate social media channels in a safe and responsible way.
“Social media is a brilliant tool for business and has valuable uses socially too. We certainly don’t want to discourage people from using certain channels, instead we’d like to make sure they are equipped with the simplest measures to protect their personal information from getting into the hands of criminals.
“Fraudsters tend to cast a wide net, so taking just these small steps to improve your security can make a substantial difference.”
The factsheets were tested out on a series of recent roadshows and events and were instantly well received.
Mandy added: “Our ethical hacking team pulled the reports together in order to provide that one stop shop answer to security. It is part of a wider ongoing communication programme for business which includes discussion on a proposed cyber business hub for Scotland.
“The response, especially from both businesses and parents has been really strong – showing that there is a need for this type of communication. We then knew instantly that this had to become available to every person and business in Scotland.”
The factsheets tie in with SBRC’s ethical hacking programme that seeks to inform businesses and individuals about the dangers cyber criminals pose and how they can best protect themselves against these threats.
For more information on the ethical hacking programme or to download the factsheets please visit www.sbrcentre.co.uk.
