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.
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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.
International Fraud Awareness Week (IFAW) 2024 takes place from 17-23 November, and SAFE continues to support this global effort to minimise the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education. Fraud and cybercrime account for over 40% of all crime in England and Wales, affecting more people, more often, than any other crime. The social and economic cost to individuals is estimated to be in excess of £4.7 billion a year. So don’t wait until #fraudweek to become a fraud fighter!
