The Think Before You Click campaign is designed to get you to do exactly that – slow down, consider what or who you’re interacting with online and think about what you’re about to do before you do it.

As more of everyone’s daily lives move online, the risks associated with online security increase. Cybercriminals base a lot of their attacks on getting people to act impulsively and without thinking, whether this is through a phishing email, a malware attack, or a more sophisticated social engineering assault.

Once you have clicked on something you shouldn’t have, you have opened a door for cybercriminals to invade your computer. This could lead to them installing malware on your device, watching your keystrokes through a keylogger, or gaining access to your passwords and accounts.

In many cases, people will click a link instinctively and then suddenly realise they have made a mistake. Think Before You Click is designed to mitigate against this risk.

When you receive an email that includes a link, or you come across a message on social media or a pop up online, the first thing you should do – as per the campaign – is stop and think.

If possible, hover your mouse over the link to reveal the true source. Often this will show you that the link is fraudulent, directing you to a malicious website or location. If this isn’t possible, copy the link and paste it into an incognito browser, ensuring it can’t gain access to any of your accounts – though this still poses the risk of installing malware on your device. If you have any suspicions at all, the best course of action is to do nothing. If possible, call Tech Australia IT Services on 0450064577