October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
I recently attended a Cyber Security presentation and, honestly, it was eye-opening (and a little terrifying!). I learned that cyber hacking is now the third largest economy in the world — right behind the USA and China. Even scarier? 65% of people reuse the same password across multiple accounts — sometimes up to 14 times!
During the presentation, I watched how hackers can gain access to accounts in real time using password reuse and exposed data. It really brought home how important it is to take online security seriously — both personally and for your business.
What About Your Website And Domain Security?
Cyber threats don’t just happen to big businesses — small websites are often easier targets.
Here are a few quick tips to help protect yours:
- Renew your domain name — don’t let it lapse! If someone else grabs it, it can be very costly (and stressful) to recover.
- Register similar or misspelled versions of your domain — this helps prevent scammers or “domain squatters” from tricking your customers. e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk, yourbusiness.com, your-business.com
- Consider defensive domains such as .adult or .xxx — just to stop them falling into the wrong hands.
- Use your hosting security tools — SSL certificates, secure login, and regular backups all add layers of protection.
Real-Life Example
Last week, my daughter’s school sent out a warning to the parents after discovering that a web address printed in a popular children’s book series had been compromised — linking to inappropriate adult content instead. You can read the full story on the BBC website.
It’s a stark reminder that any web address, even those that seem trustworthy, can be hijacked or misused!
Is Your Email Address Safe?
Try this quick and FREE test right now.
Go to haveibeenpwned.com
Enter your email address to see if your information has been part of any known data breaches. If it has, update those passwords immediately (and use different ones across your accounts!).
My Final tip
Think of your domain name and website as your online property. You wouldn’t leave your front door unlocked — so don’t do it online either.
A few small steps now can save you a huge headache later!
Stay safe online!
