If you’ve been following us over the past couple of months, you may have noticed how we’ve been focused on device security and staying cyber secure while staying at home. 

There’s a good reason for this. While it’s super important to look after your devices and protect your personal information, cyber criminals are using the lockdown to increase their attacks on unsuspecting members of the public. You only need to take a quick look at the news to see the shocking statistics. 

So, we want to take this opportunity to highlight how one of our customers, Mr Churchill, was able to thwart an attack on his computer with WiseGuys’ help.

“I was gutted. I rely on that laptop and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”

It was an innocent enough mistake; a popup suggested that Mr Churchill could get faster broadband by clicking on a popup on his computer. Unfortunately, this was no ordinary marketing advertisement and his computer immediately became unresponsive. 

Mr Churchill called his daughter for help, who suggested he get in touch with WiseGuys. One of our friendly engineers, James, took the case and took the computer in for analysis. He explained everything that might need to be done with the computer and it was back with Mr Churchill in no time. 

“James was excellent. I couldn’t have wished for better.”

This is just one of the services we offer. Whether you’ve suddenly been hit by an unexpected attack or you’re just wondering how you can improve your security so that you don’t fall victim to the same kind of security breach, WiseGuys can help. We can even collect your device and deliver it back to you once we’ve finished rectifying the problem. 

In this case, we needed to remove malware from Mr Churchill’s computer. At its best, malware can completely disable your computer like it did in this case. At its worst, it can steal your personal information, leaving you open to identity theft or emptying your bank accounts.

“How did you feel?” 

“Relieved, so relieved. Trust me.”

And in-store support isn’t all we do. While we were having a follow-up call with Mr Churchill, he pointed out how he was unable to access his emails. By accessing the computer over a remote connection, our engineers were able to help Mr Churchill take steps towards resetting his account information to get back into his email inbox. 

Remember, while you’re stuck inside, you should review how well you’re protecting your own personal information: 

  • Don’t click unusual links within emails, especially when they’re from unknown sources; 
  • Don’t respond to text messages from unknown numbers; 
  • Don’t use weak passwords – the best are a combination of letters, numbers and symbols; 
  • Don’t install unknown software or allow an unknown person remote access to your PC; 
  • Don’t assume you know who’s calling – if in doubt, hang up and find an official phone number on paperwork or a company’s website, especially for banks. 
  • Do enable a passcode or biometric security (Face ID or Touch ID) on your phone; 
  • Do change your passwords regularly or after you suspect you may have been targeted; 
  • Do install antivirus and antimalware software on your computer; 
  • Do get in touch with professionals like WiseGuys if you want to be completely sure that you’re doing everything possible to prevent an attack.