Member for Forrest Nola Marino has encouraged everyone in the South West to take steps to protect their own online safety as part of Stay Smart Online Week.
Stay Smart Online Week, from 9-13 October, is a national awareness raising initiative to encourage Australians to be more proactive about their cyber security.
Mrs Marino said anyone could be a victim of cybercrime, from people using the internet to businesses.
“Cybercrime is estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $1 billion a year, and around 43 per cent of cybercrimes are targeted at small businesses,” Mrs Marino said.
“The theme for Stay Smart Online Week this year is ‘simple steps to online safety,’ with individuals and businesses urged to learn more about the simple, practical steps they can take to improve their online security.
“The Australian Government’s cyber security experts recommend focusing on five key areas of online safety: the privacy of your personal information, strong passwords, software updates, backing up your important data and avoiding online scams.
“Stay Smart Online Week is the perfect time to take steps to improve your cyber security and to talk to family, friends, and colleagues about internet safety.
“Everyone has a role to play to ensure Australia’s cyber security and Stay Smart Online Week is a great opportunity to ensure you are taking effective cyber security measures.”
For more information about Stay Smart Online Week 2017, visit staysmartonline.gov.au.
