Cyber Smart Week 2021

Led by CERT NZ, it’s Cyber Smart Week 2021!

Being cyber smart is crucial in a world where computer and internet threats are commonplace and on the rise.

While Trade Me is a very healthy marketplace, it pays to know a few simple tricks and practices to get ahead of the bad actors beyond the keyboard.

Here’s 4 quick things you can do when using the internet and all it has to offer:

1. >> Use bigger passwords. Long and strong passwords are much harder for attackers to crack. Cert recommends creating a passphrase, that’s a string of four or more words as it’s easier to remember and is stronger than a random mix of letters, numbers and symbols. In terms of using Trade Me, your password should be wholly unique. 
2. >> Consider using Two-factor authentication. 2FA adds another layer of security to your accounts. CERT’s guide to turning on 2FA is simple to follow. It’s a great means of protecting your bank accounts and other important accounts you access. 
3. >> Check your privacy settings. It’s very common to share details about our personal lives on the internet. Do you want the whole world to know about your new puppy adoption or just family and friends? It might be time to review your privacy settings on your social media accounts. Trade Me takes privacy and the protection of personal information very seriously. Here’s our privacy policy and our most recent Transparency Report which shows how we liaise with government agencies regarding member information. 
4. >> Updating your ‘apps’ and devices helps keep bugs and viruses out. The most recent ‘firmware’ usually features security fixes for exploitations that have been discovered and this can help prevent attackers from accessing accounts.

When using Trade Me, there are plenty of things to be mindful about. We’ve learned a lot about scams over the years and we have plenty of tricks to keep users of the site safe.

We use verification codes when we think credit card use may be a bit funky and we ask for ‘proof of goods’ when we want to be sure the seller has them.

Users should never give their personal information they use to Trade Me so be mindful of phishing scams in the form of email surveys.

If you ever find you have unwittingly shared your Trade Me login details with a third party, let us know as soon as you can at abuse@trademe.co.nz and the Trust and Safety team can take action.