That was the key message from an NFU Cymru seminar on rural crime and cybersecurity held on the Royal Welsh Showground on Wednesday 22 July.
The event featured representatives from Dyfed-Powys Police, North Wales Police, NFU Mutual and NFU Cymru, covering topics including fraud, cybercrime, farm machinery thefts and livestock worrying.
Dyfed-Powys Police Cyber Fraud Investigator Allan Rush and North Wales Police Cyber Protect Officer Dewi Owen provided attendees with useful advice in relation to preventing cybercrime.
Attendees were informed that cyber crime and fraud now accounts for 50% of all UK crime. The seminar was warned that reporting of cyberattacks on large global companies could lead to farmers thinking 'it won't happen to me', but such is the scale, sophistication and frequency of online and telephone fraud that it was a case of 'if not when' residents and small businesses may be exposed to some form of scam.
The cybercrime specialists provided the audience with six pieces of key advice to
help secure themselves against online fraud:
Passwords
- Use strong, unique passwords that are long and complex.
- Consider combining three random words for memorable yet strong passwords. Including a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols will also make it stronger.
- Never reuse passwords
- Each account should have its own unique password. If one account is compromised, others remain protected.
- Use a password manager, trusted password managers generate, store and autofill passwords securely, making strong password practices effortless.
Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Extra layer of protection
- MFA requires a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone, adding crucial security beyond passwords alone.
- Even if passwords are compromised your accounts remain protected when attackers only have your password but lack access to your second factor.
- Enable on all accounts
- Prioritise email, banking, social media, and work systems. These are the accounts that matter most to your security and privacy.
Recognise and report phishing attempts
Warning signs to watch for:
- Urgent or alarming language
- Requests for personal or financial information
- Suspicious links or email addresses
- Never click unexpected content
- Avoid clicking on attachments or links from unknown senders or unexpected emails, even if they appear to come from familiar sources.
- Verify! Not sure if the message is genuine? Find a trusted method to verify the sender's details, such as calling them on a number you know is theirs and checking if they sent the message.
- Report and Delete. Immediately report phishing emails, then delete them to prevent accidental future clicks.
Secure your devices and connections
- Lock your devices, use PINs, passwords, or biometric security on all devices. This prevents unauthorised access if your device is lost or stolen.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks, don't use public or unsecured Wi-Fi for banking or other sensitive activities. Use VPNs when public Wi-Fi is necessary.
- Download only from official sources, only download applications from trusted official stores like Google Play or Apple App Store to avoid malicious software.
Keep your software updated
- Enable automatic updates, set your devices and applications to update automatically. This ensures you receive critical security patches without delay or manual intervention.
- Protection against latest threats
- Updates patch security vulnerabilities and protect against the most recent cyber threats and malware variants discovered by security researchers.
- Don't delay installation, when prompted to install updates, don't postpone them. Delayed updates leave your systems vulnerable to known security flaws.
If in doubt, leave it out
- Trust your instincts, cyber attacks can be subtle andsophisticated. If something feels suspicious or unusual, don't ignore that feeling. Seek help from IT professionals or security teams.
- Report incidents promptly, quickly report any security incidents or mistakes, such as accidentally clicking a suspicious link. Early reporting can significantly reduce potential harm to you and your network.
- Knowledge sharing protects everyone, when you share information about threats you've encountered, you
help protect colleagues, friends and family from similar attacks. - The overriding message was that farmers must treat cybersecurity in the same way they would protecting their physical farm assets - 'securing your farm and securing your future doesn't stop at the farm gate'.
Members were given the analogy that if they had a hole in their fence where they knew stock could get through, they'd quickly repair it. Dyfed-Powys Police Cyber Fraud Investigator Allan Rush and North Wales Police Cyber Protect Officer Dewi Owen said that members must take the same approach when it comes to cybersecurity. Above all else, members were told that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.
Know what you own
NFU Mutual Vehicle Crime Specialist Kirsty Hyslop told the event that the insurer had invested almost £550,000 last year in rural crime fighting initiatives. She said NFU Mutual was continually collaborating with police forces and vehicle manufacturers and had been instrumental in the development of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act for England and Wales. Ms Hyslop's take home
message to farmers was 'know what you own' - take photographs of machinery, trailers and quadbikes, along with a picture of their serial numbers. Taking these actions can assist law enforcement in recovering your property in the event it is stolen.
Finally, NFU Cymru Rural Crime Lead Garry Williams provided a farmer perspective on the impacts of rural crime. Garry covered a wide range of issues experienced by members across Wales, including quad and machinery thefts, frustrations with dog attacks on livestock, hare-coursing and livestock thefts. He also discussed the union's lobbying raising the profile of rural crime with Wales' police forces and his own work with officers from Dyfed-Powys Police.
Speaking after the event, seminar lead and NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chair Gary Yeomans said:
"It is crucial that farmers are aware of the evolving tactics employed by criminals, whether that be physical theftsfrom the farm or the sophisticated methods used by online fraudsters. Receiving advice from each of these specialists speaking at our seminar has been extremely valuable and the union will be proactively sharing detailed guidance with the wider membership in the coming weeks."
Support
For more guidance on staying safe and secure online, please visit the National Cyber Security Centre website
