Tax Return:: Tips to Prevent Cyber Attacks

Hello, this is your tax and super specialist, P&C Tax Professionals.

With the recent Optus data breach incident, personal data protection has become even more important than ever. Although it is known that ATO takes data security seriously when dealing with information provided by the taxpayers, it is vital that you remain vigilant at all times for any suspicious activities that may unfold. Today, we will go through a couple of tips on how to keep your personal information and accounts safe.

<Tips on protecting your personal information from potential cyber-attacks>

1. Update your devices and applications regularly whenever they become available.

When it comes to maintaining secure systems, it is crucial that you stay updated on all of your devices and applications that you use. This is because cyber criminals tend to hack into devices that have weaknesses in their systems or applications.

2. Make sure to turn on your multi-factor authentication.

The multi-factor authentication (MFA) is basically a measure of security that requests at least 2 forms of identity in order to gain access to an account. Turning on MFA will add an extra layer of protection since even if the cyber criminals take hold of one of your identity documentation, they will still be locked out of your account unless they have another form of ID as well.

3. Make sure to backup your files regularly.

As most of you are aware of, backing up your files simply means saving a digital copy of your important information to an external hard drive or to a cloud system online. This way if you were ever involved in a cyber-attack, you would still be able to recover your important files through your backups.

4. Take extra precautions when clicking on links and providing personal information.

One of the most common methods that cyber criminals use in order to hack into your systems is by misleading you into clicking on links or attachments which will then allow them to install viruses, spyware, or ransomware on your device. Cyber criminals normally use emails, SMS, phone, and social media to carry out such activities which means you should always be cautious when it comes to clicking on links and attachments from anyone, even if they seem legitimate.

The following list of websites may help you stay alert and informed on protecting your identity:

> Moneysmart – Identity theft

> Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) – Identity fraud

> cyber.gov.au – Report cybercrime

On the other hand, if you have any other queries in relation to your tax return or super, please reach out to us via our official Facebook Page (P&C Tax Professionals – Australia) or send your message directly to our email address at pnctax@naver.com.

Thank you and bye for now!