Online security tips
- make sure you create strong passwords for everything
- be wary of anyone calling and asking for personal information, bank details or passwords
- keep an eye on your credit rating to see if anyone has applied for credit in your name
- keep all your passwords away from prying eyes, and don’t write them down anywhere they might be seen
- if you're using a smartphone or a laptop in public, be as careful as you would when you’re using an ATM cash machine on the high street
- if you're using a public computer, such as one in a library, don't forget to log out once you're done
- make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software installed such as Norton Security Premium
- if you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and internet crime reporting centre, on 0300 123 2040
> Find out more about staying secure online by popping into your local EE store
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To block cookies
Go to your browser settings and select block cookies.
How do I make my online passwords secure?
Your passwords and PINs give you secure access to you online life.
Although using the same username and password for all your accounts may seem like a good idea as it's easier to remember just one password, it's much more secure to use a different password for all your online accounts. This means that if someone finds out one of your passwords then not all your accounts will be at risk.
On devices it's also important to lock your device with a password or PIN to keep your information secure. You should also activate your SIM PIN so that your SIM cannot be used in another device if it gets lost or stolen.
For more secure passwords and PINS:
Use longer passwords
The longer you make your password, the harder it is for someone to guess, or for a computer to crack. Modern computers have much more processing power available to them, so what was a relatively secure password a few years ago may be vulnerable today.
A single additional character can make a difference
A 6 character password using only lowercase alphabet characters has just 308 million combinations. For a 7 letter password, that increases to over 8 billion combinations, and for an 8 letter password the number of combinations is around 208 billion.
Mix it up
Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and even symbols if your account lets you. The more varied your password is, the harder it is to guess.
If you expand an 8 character password to include uppercase letters and some special characters such as !, @, # or $, then there will be 128 trillion possible combinations.
Don’t use obvious passwords
It may be easy for you to remember, but using a sequence of numbers like 2222 or 1234, your birthday or your pet’s name as your password is just asking for trouble.
Every man and his dog knows your pet’s name. And you don’t want every man and his dog to be able to guess your password.
Don’t leave reminders lying around
If you do need help to remember your passwords, make sure you keep your reminders in a safe place. Don’t leave them written on sticky notes next to your desk. And if you keep them somewhere online, make sure they are well hidden.
If you have difficulty remembering your passwords, there are 3rd party services that will create and store secure passwords for you across your devices.
Change your passwords regularly
Change your passwords on a regular basis and if you do lose your device, change all your online passwords straight away.
What are EE router passwords?
Your EE Smart Hub router comes with two passwords pre-set on it:
- the password for the SSID which enables you and any other user to attach to the WiFi signal from the router and access the internet
- the administrative portal that controls the settings on your router
EE have looked to implement best practice when it comes to choosing a password for you, to ensure that you have something random, memorable and difficult to hack. We would therefore recommend that you leave the existing passwords unchanged.
How do I keep my phone secure?
Always:
- set up a voicemail PIN that only you know
- set a security lock on your phone that only you know
- shield your phone PIN when unlocking your phone
- call us back on 150 on your EE phone (pay as you go charges may apply) if you're unsure whether the person who’s called you is genuinely from EE
Never:
- give out personal details to a caller you aren’t expecting, especially your password or bank details
- reply to a text message with personal details. If you’re unsure if the text’s from EE or you’ve already replied to it with details, call us as soon as possible on 150 from your EE phone (pay as you go charges may apply)
- ignore a mobile phone bill to your house that has a different name -this is most likely to be fraud, not a mistake, so please let us know
- accept a phone delivery you're not expecting – and never hand over your old phone to someone claiming to be a courier, taxi driver etc. Call us on 150 and we’ll arrange its return, free of charge
- buy unlock codes from anyone other than EE – they’ll have been obtained illegally
Useful websites for further advice
If you're worried about online scams or phone crime, these websites can help:
- Action Fraud – protecting your details and for reporting fraud
- Get Safe Online – general advice for protection online