The spring sunshine is starting to appear, and there’s plenty going on in local Neighbourhood Watch groups across England and Wales so let’s get stuck in.
Protect your Pa$$w0rd
Home security doesn’t just mean locking your doors and windows – protecting your digital devices with strong passwords is also important to keeping yourself and your personal data safe.
Perhaps you received a new phone or laptop at Christmas, or you want to help keep your family members digitally safe.
Creating a strong password doesn’t need to be complicated. Using three simple steps, you can protect your devices and digital data.
First of all, I wish to make this absolutely clear, whilst your data is personal and could be considered secret to yourself it is not a national asset, and so the advice given here is certainly sufficient for the majority of households to follow it is not sufficient to secure classified government networks.
Create a separate, strong password for your email. Your personal email account contains lots of important information about you and is the gateway to all your other online accounts, including banking, social media and online shopping. If your email account is hacked, all your other passwords can be reset, so it’s important to use a strong password for your email, that is different to all your others.
Consider using 3 random words to build your password. Using three random words is the recommended way of generating passwords, as it’s easier to remember and takes trillions of years for a computer algorithm to crack.
Remember to not use obvious words like your surname or the names of your pets.
Use 2 factor (2FA) or multi-factor (MFA) authentication on your devices. Two-factor authentication is a free security feature that gives you an extra layer of protection online and stops cyber criminals getting into your accounts – even if they have your password. Two-factor authentication reduces the risk of being hacked by asking you to provide a second factor of information, earlier forms included using a text via SMS though this is now considered insecure, instead use an Authenticator app that will provide a code when you log in, to check you are who you say you are. Such apps are freely available from the like of Microsoft and Google.
Let’s get digital
You may have heard that landlines are changing and that the UK’s telephone network is going digital. These changes will affect everyone who has a landline they’d like to keep using. You needn’t worry: for most people, the switch is incredibly simple.
Here’s what you need to know and how you can help friends or family members who may be concerned.
Earlier this year, BT and Neighbourhood Watch partnered to help communities navigate this change, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas, across England and Wales. With 250 events planned, our volunteers are busy raising awareness, answering questions and supporting the switch.
However, there’s still work to be done to ensure everyone, particularly vulnerable people, know about the switch, what it means to them, what they need to do to prepare – and how you can help them.
That’s why we’re looking for your help in spreading the word. Here are a few things to know about the switchover – and how you can help your loved ones:
Now is the time to inform and educate: ensure family members and friends understand the switch, why it’s happening, and how to prepare. Households will receive at least four weeks’ notice before switching.
It’s easy – and comes with added benefits, too: switching is simple, requires no extra cost, and includes features like spam call blocking for enhanced security. BT’s Enhanced Call Protect prevents around 20,000 scam calls a day.
Notify BT of their circumstances: if you or someone you know has additional needs, a Telecare device or healthcare pendant, or feels they need extra support with the switchover, contact your home phone provider. Free engineer visits and battery backups are available to ensure a smooth transition.
What if they don’t have broadband? A dedicated landline service will be provided to maintain traditional landline functionality without requiring broadband.
Have questions or need help? Visit the Connected Together website or if you’re a BT customer, call 0330 1234 150.
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