For lots of people, daily life revolves around the internet – from work to education, to talking to friends and family. In 2022 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMA) stated that on average, UK households have 9 connected devices, with a variety of uses. And the more devices you have, the greater the scope for cybercriminals to cause harm. So we’ve put together this guide to help protect you and your family.
Protect yourself when shopping online
It’s important to ensure that the website you’re using is secure before submitting any personal information such as your name, address or bank details.
The following are indicators that the site is more likely to be secure:
- A padlock symbol in the address bar
- The website site address starts with ‘https’ - you may need to double click on the address bar to check, if it’s not displaying
Check that the site is not a ‘copycat’ site that has been set up to scam people into submitting personal information. To make sure you're on a legitimate part of the Farewill or Farewill Funerals website, always check the address in your browser’s address bar: it should start with ‘https://farewill.com’, ‘www.farewill.com’, or 'account.farewill.com'.
Password management
Your passwords should be personal to you. Create passwords that would be difficult for others to guess and include a mix of upper and lower case letters, special characters and numbers. These are some other things to remember, or think about:
- Do not share your password with anyone, whether they ask you to share it over the phone, or via email. Farewill will never contact you by email or phone to ask for your password.
- Update your password regularly.
- Do not use the same password for every account you have online.
- Use a password manager to keep track of your complex passwords.
- Use Two Factor Authentication (also called 2FA or Multi-factor authentication) for an additional layer of protection where possible - that may mean, for example, that when you log into an account online, you'll need to type in an extra code sent to you via SMS or through an 'authenticator' app.
Protect yourself against online scams and fraud
Be wary when opening emails, especially when you receive an email from a sender you do not recognise. If the email asks you to take an action, for example, to download something or provide personal details, always check the address of the sender to confirm it’s legitimate before you start.
- Emails sent from Farewill and Farewill Funerals will always follow the same format: [someones-name]@farewill.com
- If you are ever concerned about a phone call or email you’ve received from Farewill, please call us using the number at the top of our website, www.farewill.com
Keep your computer and other devices secure
Keep your computer and other devices up to date with the latest updates. Out of date devices are more vulnerable to hacks and viruses. You could also consider installing security programmes such as antivirus or firewall software.
For more information on how to protect yourself from scams and fraud, and how to report them, visit the National Cyber Security Centre.