STACK #190 Aug 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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for identity threats and alerts you when one is detected, even if it’s only a potential threat to your personal info being compromised. This is particularly important given the reality that, according to the 2018 Norton LifeLock Cyber Safety Insights Report – Australia, 30 per cent of surveyed Aussie consumers were impacted by cybercrime in 2017. Of those people, a whopping estimated $1.3 billion was lost. Scammer tax You may have until the end of October to submit your tax return, but one of the potential reasons Aussies may pause when it comes to tax time is the risk of cybercrime. According to the Norton LifeLock 2019 Tax Time Survey – Australia report, 83 per cent believe cybercrime is a big issue, with 58 per cent of respondents flagging that tax time is when they are most aware of this digital threat. With 42 per cent of respondents claiming they’ve been targeted by ATO-impersonation scams, it’s no wonder that one in five respondents feel unsafe completing their tax return online. At the time, 89 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted to do more to protect their privacy, and with the number of connected devices growing each year, the realities of cybercrime are only going to become more prevalent as more connected devices become part of our everyday realities. NORTON PROTECTION It may still be called Norton 360, but these days this antivirus software also includes LifeLock for protection against everything outlined above. On top of this, later this month, the LifeLock component will include monitoring of the dark web to see if any of your personal information has made it there. Spoiler: you really don’t want your info caught in that web. The rise of scams Scams are a common and unfortunate reality of online connectivity. They’re so common that the ACCC has established a dedicated Scamwatch website for providing crucial information and tracking scams. In June alone, there was $12,712,415 lost to scams. The most-reported scams are phishing; threats to life, arrest or other; identity theft; and online shopping scams. Unsurprisingly, phone, internet, email, and mobile applications were the most common delivery methods for scams.

When it comes to the serious realities of internet security, Norton 360 can seriously safeguard against the many digital threats looking to tear your devices a new one. Words Adam Colby Y ou can never be too cautious when it comes to cybersecurity. Especially these days when viruses and other malware have the potential to turn ad hoc workstations into noticeably slowed or unusable oversized paperweights. Device protection has become paramount. One of the brand names that’s best known for protecting connected devices from viruses and the like is Norton. These days, Norton 360 Premium is more than just a reactive antivirus program, even if it does an admirable job of that primary task.

LIFELOCK’S KEY NortonLifeLock is the parent company behind all things Norton. That inessential bit of trivia is actually important because the “LifeLock” part of the company refers to an extra layer of security. Before Norton

and LifeLock joined forces, LifeLock made a name for itself by protecting devices from cyberthreats. Now that it’s part of Norton, it makes products like Norton 360 Premium all the more appealing. With over seven million threats blocked per day, LifeLock also actively monitors devices

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