Cybertip: Five steps to ensure your digital security

06.02.2023 - Launched by the European Commission, Safer Internet Day takes place every year in February to promote a common awareness of safe and responsible use of digital media. In Switzerland, the Youth and Media national platform and the National Cybersecurity Centre, among others, use this day to raise public awareness. Thanks to the mnemonic S-U-P-E-R, internet users can easily check and optimise their cyberspace conduct.

The national awareness campaign known as S-U-P-E-R, which is carried out annually by the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC), together with Swiss Crime Prevention (SCP), shows how cybersecurity can be vastly improved in just five steps. Each letter corresponds to a specific recommendation on what to do.

S for Save:

Losing data is painful and can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter whether it is caused by a technical defect in the device, something physical (device falls into water, for example) or a cyberattack. External storage media, such as local data storage or cloud solutions, help to prevent data loss. The data is stored in a sustainable manner independently of the main device, and is available for an immediate backup.

Tip:

Regularly back up your data on at least a one other external medium that is stored separately from the main device.

U for Update:

Without updates, vulnerabilities in your programs or operating system, for example, can be exploited. As a result, attackers can penetrate the system and install malware or steal personal data, for instance. Such attacks are unpleasant, as they violate our privacy and we are confronted with a partial or complete loss of control.

Tip:

Update your system, programs and apps regularly to the latest version. If available, it is best to use the automatic update function. Carry out recommended updates immediately.

P for Protect:

Both a lack of virus protection and an inactive firewall provide a gateway for malware. A firewall prevents unauthorised access to a network and checks incoming and outgoing traffic against a set of rules to detect and block threats. Antivirus software protects your device by regularly scanning the computer for malware and, if a threat is detected, removing or quarantining the malicious file.

Tip:

Check your device to ensure that antivirus software and a firewall are installed and continually updated.

E for Equip:

Although passwords are a hassle, they are important to protect your data. Therefore, you should not only have a secure password, but ideally a different one for each platform/account. However, it is quite difficult to remember every password. A password manager makes your life easier: you simply memorise a secure master password and store the other passwords in the password manager. Some password managers even generate secure passwords for you.

Tip:

Install a password manager and use it. Activate two-factor authentication whenever possible. In this case, an access PIN is sent to a previously registered mobile phone number, for example, and is required to log in.

R for Reduce:

Not everything you come across in cyberspace reflects reality. Cybercriminals influence our perception by disguising their identities and intentions in order to obtain personal data or money. For example, they send fake emails supposedly from prosecution authorities or promise large inheritances. This attack method is called social engineering.

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