October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
October 2, 2024
According to data from Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, more than 33,000 people had their social media or email accounts hacked in the 12 months to August 2024, and victims lost a total of £1.4 million.
Fraud is now the most commonly experienced crime in the UK, with 1 in 17 adults falling victim to fraudsters. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau indicate that 80% of fraud is cyber-enabled.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, an international initiative that aims to educate everyone about cyber safety. To mark the event, Action Fraud and NHS England have launched awareness campaigns to remind people that there are simple ways to protect themselves and our NHS from online threats.
The message from NHS England is clear, cyber crime threatens patient safety, it can be a matter of life and death, but adopting the following good cyber behaviours is a great defence against cyber criminals:
- use strong passwords
- turn on multifactor authentication
- recognise and report phishing
- keep up to date with learning
You find out more about the NHS England campaign and access resources
here.
You can find out more about the Action Fraud campaign here and find more information about protecting yourself from fraud, here.
Share this news story...
As fraud risks continue to evolve, staying informed and vigilant is more important than ever. This summer, SAFE is proud to launch a comprehensive Fraud Awareness Webinar Series designed to equip our clients and the wider healthcare community with the knowledge and tools to detect, prevent, and respond to fraud effectively. Why Attend? Fraud is a growing threat that impacts organisations across all industries. Our expert-led webinars will cover a range of timely topics, including mandate fraud, imposter fraud, the fraud triangle and the benefits of early intervention.
We are excited to announce that we have recently had the ISO 9001:2015 audit and can confidently say we passed with flying colours!
When Sarah Whitaker approached an introductory care agency to find a carer for her 89 year old father she expected they would refer a suitably qualified and professional carer. Instead, Sarah was 'horrified' to discover that an unqualified imposter had been in her fathers home for almost three weeks! Unfortunately Sarah's story, reported by Sky News , is not as uncommon as one might expect. In January 2024, a man admitted impersonating a nurse and accessing resuscitation and children's areas at a hospital in Glasgow (BBC News) . SAFE has experience of dealing with a number of similar cases where an unqualified imposter had been found to be working in place of the qualified professional that was expected.
