Maybe you're a freelance graphic designer. Or you create user experiences for startups looking to build a compelling product. Whatever the specifics, you have a mix of long-standing clients and new.

Issues you (expect to) face

• Clients ask you to not use email to send assets, telling you email security is insufficient.
• You don't have an IT helpdesk, so you're responsible for finding and setting up the right tools and practices for yourself.
• You need to send clients sensitive data, like bank details so you can get paid, but most clients aren't clear about how they safeguard such information.

With basic business activities (like banking, communication, and marketing) achieved using the internet, digital safety is an important investment.

Your digital safety is important. Evaluate your usecase. In the meantime, use these quickstarts to get started with basic defences to common cyber threats.

Get started with these three resources

1. The clients' IT folks sometimes use jargon. We suggest using our Glossary to look up common terms they may use. To watch out for yourself, you need understand what's happening.

📬 Introducing the IT Glossary

Our IT Glossary is where we describe what we mean when we use certain words. Often the words we use are in common usage. Those words are not described the Glossary. Sometimes we use words in a slightly different way from common usage. Those differences we describe in the Glossary.

Majorcord | safer businessEditorial Team

2. Credential stuffing is a common danger, and is growing in frequency. For example, 2020's CRA breach was down to people reusing passwords. Fortunately, credential stuffing is avoidable. To be safe, use a password manager to create unique passwords for all your logins.

📣 The CRA hacks happened because people reuse passwords. Here’s why, and how, to stop reusing passwords.

Many of us are not only using the same lock and key everywhere, it’s a lock and key we bought at the dollar store.

Majorcord | safer businessManil

3. Consider avoiding document collection via email. Documents sent via email tend to lie around for a long time, in effect waiting to be stolen.

📬 Collecting documents by email creates avoidable risk－but there’s a convenient alternative.

Common email isn’t considered secure. Encouraging clients (especially one-off clients) to use email when transferring sensitive information creates significant avoidable risk. This information could be very damaging if the system handling them lost control.

Majorcord | safer businessManil

4. (BONUS!) Yes, we did say three resources. But knowing from experience that all freelancers handle a non-trivial amount of their own administration, this is one more guide that you'll find helpful－ to easily, and reliably, archive documents for tax and regulations.

📬 What do actual backups look like?

The task of setting up a good backup system can look time-consuming and, often, intimidating. But it’s neither. Anyone can do it－everyone should. And it can take as little as 30 minutes.

Majorcord | safer businessEditorial Team

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Helpful words

• credential stuffing
• multi-factor authentication
• password manager
• phishing