Not every computer glitch can be solved by switching your computer off and on again – but with a little knowhow you can soon become your own IT pro.
Falling for phishing
‘Phishing’ is when cyber criminals send fraudulent emails – posing to be from reputable companies or friends and family – aim to take money or identity. As of August 2025, 45 million phishing scams were reported to the National Cyber Security Centre, so if you’ve fallen prey to such a con, you’re not alone. If you receive a suspicious email, keep an eye out for bad spelling and grammar or anything demanding an urgent response. Another big giveaway is mismatched email domains, For example, if an email from your ‘bank’ comes from another domain such as Gmail, it’s fake. And don’t panic if scammers do catch you off-guard, as the key is to act quickly. Gave them your bank details? Contact your bank immediately and change any passwords you may have shared. You can also forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.go.uk and have them checked out.
Weak/identical passwords
Using identical or easy-to-crack passwords across your accounts is a sure fire way to let hackers grab your personal information. Particularly important for your email account, having an iron tight password means cyber criminals won’t be able to access your most private information, like your bank details. Doubly, if they manage to uncover your password, they could potentially reset passwords elsewhere and access your other online accounts. Set to power up your password? Start by turning on 2-step verification for all your important accounts (go to settings and select ‘2-Step Verification’ or ‘Two-factor Authentication’). You can also use Password Manager – where your device offers to save passwords for you – which means you will never forget Dixie123.?88 again. (PS: that’s not one of our, by the way!)
Ignoring software updates
Failing to update your software leaves you at greater risk of system problems and compatibility issues. Which, in non-tech speak, basically means older versions can be less efficient and make your computer run at a snail’s pace. Using older versions of software also leave you more vulnerable to hackers. But panic not, because when it’s time for an update, your computer or application will generally give you prompts. The secret is to not ignore them! If unsure, you can check for updates in your settings – or even better, ask the computer whizz in the family to do it for you.
Failing to back-up
‘Backup’ is a copy of all your important data stored in a separate, safe location – be it on the internet (cloud storage) or on a removable device such as a USB stick. Make sure you backup everything you value. For example, if your device is lost, broken or stolen it will give you peace of mind knowing all your precious family photos and videos have been stashed in another place. Apple, Google and Microsoft all offer some free storage space, which you can increase for a fee. Backing up today will certainly save on tears tomorrow. It doesn’t take long and can even be set up to happen automatically.
Installing bad software
Finally, you may be tempted to install free software in order to save a bit of cash, but this kind of thriftiness can often do more harm than good. In fact, downloading dodgy software is the most common way computers get a virus, so before you snap up a freebie, make sure you first read online reviews of what you are planning to download – and where you plan to download it from. ALWAYS read the terms and conditions, too. Do not simply click ‘skip’ – or the only place you will be skipping off to will be the computer shop.
