Be extra vigilant online this cybersecurity month

October is cybersecurity month but most of us by now know that protecting yourself shouldn’t be a once month thing or something you can extra attention to in one particular month. For the experts this is considered the busiest month with the aim of keeping all of us safe online and with Black Friday around the corner this becomes even more pertinent.

Black Friday comes with it exciting deals everywhere with many clicking fast, whilst scammers are also sharpening their digital claws. Around 68% of South Africans said they were targeted by fraud (email, phone, text, online) from Aug-Dec 2024 and 33% of them lost money during that time. Cybersecurity Awareness Month signals the need to buff up your online street smarts. Being connected shouldn’t mean being careless. With these tips in mind, you’ll hopefully stay safer than a bank vault.

Rename your Wi-Fi and create a guest zone for your gadgets

Default SSIDs like VumaFibre_1234 are hacker magnets. Go for something boring, odd, or cryptic. Add a strong password and you’ve already fortified your Wi-Fi fortress. Smart bulbs, cameras, speakers they’re fun, but they’re also potential entry points. Use your router’s guest network feature to sandbox all those “smart home” devices away from your personal gear.

QR codes = not always cute

Scammers are embedding malicious links in QR codes at stores, flyers and even on receipts. Before you scan, consider a few things is the branding legit? Does the code look photoshopped over something else? If in doubt, don’t do it.

Protect access to your phone like it’s your home

You wouldn’t just let someone into your house. So don’t just protect your devices lock down who can access them. Use strong multi-factor authentication (MFA), avoid reusing account names and treat account recovery like a secret mission.

Whether it’s your router, antivirus, firewall, or cloud backup, ensure they “speak” to each other. Correlated alerts give you faster responses and fewer “oh no” moments.

When in doubt, report it out

If you encounter anything suspicious, be it a weird email, a suspicious site, or a scammer attempting contact on WhatsApp or social media, report it immediately to your bank, ISP, or the South African Police Services Digital Crime Unit. Your alert can help shut down scams for an entire community. It’s like neighbourhood watch, but digital.

“As South Africans connect to faster fibre and smarter homes, it’s important to connect safely,” says Simon Butler, Chief Commercial Officer at Vuma.

“Technology empowers people to do extraordinary things, but it’s only truly powerful when we use it safely and confidently. By practising smart digital habits and looking out for one another, we can make the internet safer for everyone.”

Vuma’s fibre doesn’t just connect devices, it connects people, schools, communities and opportunities. From households and smart homes to schools and entrepreneurs, the technology enables real-world possibilities. But the tech is only half the story. To really thrive, we need smart habits, shared vigilance and a little streetwise DNA.

By following these smart moves, staying curious and staying cautious you can protect yourself, your data, and your home network, and help make cyber safety a community effort.

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Posted By

Thabiso Moloi

With many, many years of PR, digital & influencer marketing work under his belt, Thabiso has worked on a great number of technology, business and consumer brands. In addition, he has become obsessed with most things under the sun including music, series, sports, movies etc which he now regularly writes about. You can find him on Twitter: @Thabz_14