Just like you secure your salon with locks and alarms, your online bank accounts need protection too. Imagine thieves breaking in digitally, without ever stepping foot inside. That’s online banking fraud—a modern-day heist where criminals steal your hard-earned money through clever tricks like phishing emails or hacking.
Tax season brings an increased risk of cyber attacks for several reasons. First, the sheer volume of transactions and communications can make it harder to spot fraudulent activities. Second, the urgency of tax-related tasks creates opportunities for scammers to manipulate businesses into making hasty decisions.
The good news is that there are proactive measures salon owners and hairdressers can take to protect themselves from tax scammers often impersonating the Australian Tax Office (ATO), MyGov, and financial institutions.
One such measure is the Cyber Wardens training program, a free and simple solution designed to enhance cyber security awareness and defences. Here, the platform outlines the risks and safety measures you and your salon should know.
Common cyber threats for salons and hairdressers
Cyber threats in the salon field include phishing scams, where cyber criminals send fraudulent emails or texts pretending to be from legitimate sources like the ATO or financial institutions, tricking recipients into providing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
It can also cover data breaches, which is the theft of confidential data, often involving sensitive client information and resulting in problems like financial loss, legal consequences, and damage to professional reputation, or ransomware. This is malicious software that encrypts the victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible until a ransom is paid. This can cause significant operational disruption, financial loss, and data loss if backups are not available.
Salons may also contend with malware, software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to computer systems, or impersonation attacks. This is where cyber criminals pose as trusted contacts, such as accountants or suppliers, to deceive businesses into transferring funds or revealing confidential information.
With so many online dangers for salons and small businesses, Cyber Wardens offers practical tips to combat there cyber threats.
Stay sceptical and verify communications
Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts, or calls claiming to be from the ATO, MyGov, or financial institutions. Do not click on links or open attachments from unknown or suspicious sources and verify the legitimacy of any urgent request by contacting the organisation directly using a trusted contact number or website.
Strengthen your cyber defences
Implement multi-factor authentication for email and business accounts to add an extra layer of security. Next, regularly update software, apps, and plugins to ensure you have the latest security patches and use long, unique passphrases for each account and store them securely in a password manager.
Double-check invoices and payments
Slow down and thoroughly verify every invoice to ensure it matches previous transactions. Confirm the legitimacy of the sender by contacting them directly through a trusted method and be wary of unusual file types and unexpected payment requests.
Educate your staff and family
Hold regular discussions about the importance of cyber security and the specific threats during tax season and encourage employees and family members to double-check any suspicious requests and confirm invoice details directly with suppliers using trusted contact numbers.
Download the Cyber Wardens EOFY Cyber Security Guide for more tips on how to help protect your business during tax time.
Enrol in the free Cyber Wardens training
To bolster your cyber security efforts, enrol in the free Cyber Wardens training program. The program is easy to follow, having been designed specifically for small business owners and employees, with no IT jargon, and offers a self-paced program, where you can enrol in just two minutes. It’s tailored for small businesses and addresses the unique challenges faced by smaller enterprises. Plus, it’s free!
Start your free course today and protect your salon from digital threats.
Don’t get hacked! Act now.
For more information visit https://cyberwardens.com.au/enrol/enrol-now-hairdressing/