What it is
Unauthorised access is when someone accesses systems, accounts or information online that they don't have permission to access.
Learn more about unauthorised access
How to protect yourself
Here’s what you can do to reduce the likelihood of anyone getting unauthorised access to your computer, phone, accounts or network.
Be cautious about giving out personal information
Stop and check before you give out any personal information. Make sure you know how the companies you deal with will contact you, and know what kind of information they’ll ask you for. For example, a bank will never email you with links to online banking and ask you to log in.
If you’re not sure why you’re being asked for information, call the company directly to check what they want it for. Businesses are legally obliged to only ask for information they need.
Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Choose unique passwords or passphrases for your online accounts — don’t use the same password for every account you have. Consider using a password manager to manage them.
- Turn on 2FA for your online accounts.
- Make sure that the answers to your account recovery questions aren’t easy to guess – your answers don’t need to be true, just something that you can remember.
Use two-factor authentication to protect your accounts
Keep up with your updates
When you’re alerted to an update for your device or one of your apps, don’t ignore it — install it as soon as possible. You can set this up to happen automatically with Windows and a lot of other applications like Office.
Protect against malware
Malware like viruses or ransomware can destroy your files, lock you out of them, or steal credentials from your devices. Antivirus software can help you detect and remove viruses from your computer system before the virus has a chance to do any damage.
Only use networks you trust
Be cautious when connecting your computer to unsecure networks like free WiFi or internet cafés. Connecting to untrusted networks can make it easier for attackers to find vulnerabilities in your device, or to intercept, read, or modify unsecured network traffic from your device.
Get help
What to do if your device, account or network has been accessed without your authorisation.
Change your passwords and turn on 2FA
Change the password for any accounts that were accessed without your permission, and turn on 2FA so they're harder for others to access in the future.