Cybersecurity and You

Cybersecurity has been a much-talked-about subject matter in recent years because of how technology is evolving and the unethical things that people do with/on the internet. This begs for personal safety on the individual level to ensure that despite using technology, you're not being used through it. In this article, we'll discuss how you can keep safe on the internet while giving an in-depth analysis on cybersecurity and how it relates to you.

Table of Content

1. Cybersecurity and You

• Some Stats on Cybersecurity
• What Exposes You to Cyber Crime?

2. How to Keep Safe Online

• Keeping Safe on Computers
• Keeping Safe on Mobile Devices

3. Other Things to Know

4. Conclusion

Cybersecurity and You

In the digital environment, absolutely everyone is one wrong click away from something that can disrupt their lives, including you. You don't have to wait until you're the victim of a cyber attack to prevent it. In such a technological world we all have to worry about our own digital security and that of the people around us, especially if they are minors. But if you don't know how to be safe online, how can you guide a minor to do the same?

Having information and applying measures contributes to building safer digital environments to squeeze the positive side of technology and make it more difficult for cyber criminals who move stealthily in the network with the sole desire to cause as much damage as possible. Achieving it is within your reach. You have to approach cybersecurity head-on, with a familiar language dotted with experiences and anecdotes that facilitates your objective.

Some Stats on Cybersecurity

According to a study from A Clark School in University of Maryland, 2,244 cyber attacks are happening daily. This translates to 1 attack every 39 seconds, and equates to over 800,000 attacks per year. Similarly, a study conducted by SlashNext indicated that malicious URLs increased by 61% from 2021 to 2022. This equates to 255 million phishing attacks of which 76% were found to be credential harvesting. Furthermore, the Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) published by Verizon in 2019 shows that 94% of malware (e.g virus) is delivered via email.

From these stats, we see that there's almost one million malware threats each day, and even more malicious links released by hackers. Thus, clicking on ads and unverifiable links can make you more susceptible to cyber crime and vulnerable to security breaches. Likewise, identity theft is rampant online and can cost individuals millions of money, for instance, if your credit card details are used for a theft, the loss will be on you.

What Exposes You to Cyber Crime

Have you heard the word cybercrime before? It is a term used to describe a type of crime that is perpetrated using computers for the purpose of harming other computers or devices. There are different types of cyber crime ranging from phishing attacks to identity theft, ransomeware attack, internet fraud, spoofing, spam, cyber stalking, software piracy,and so on.

What exposes you to cybercrime or cyber criminals (the perpetrators) is simple: your online habits. It's difficult to be immune to cyber attacks because of the internet's influence on our lives and how it grows exponentially. Thus, what you do on/with the internet, how you do it, to what extent you go, and generally how you relate with other users could pose a threat to your online security.

How to Keep Safe Online

The internet provides a lot of convenience, however, it is necessary to be attentive to the activities carried out online, keeping yourself safe and preventing your data, files or photographs from being stolen and used by malicious people.

To prevent your information from being compromised, you have to learn how to secure your accounts using passwords, PINs, multi factor authentications and password managers. In the same vein, you must secure your connections by protecting your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Firewall, VPN, and private networks like home routers. Lastly, you have to protect the devices you use everyday including computers, portable devices, mobile devices, game consoles, TV sets, etc.

Keeping Safe on Computers

Your computers and portable devices store a large amount of data about you. They allow you to keep your data at your fingertips, including your personal photos, contacts and financial information.

However, if you're not careful, your computers can become open books for cyber criminals to access. Knowing how to secure your devices and use them safely are key to preventing your personal information from falling into the hands of malicious people. Here are some tips on how to do so:

1. Install security software
   Installing anti-virus software and anti-spyware is one of the first things to do when getting a new computer. After you do this, it is important to schedule a scan of these software at least once a week.

2. Never skip an update
   Maintaining your software and operating systems is one of the easiest ways to protect your computer. Always accept updates when your computer offers them and enable automatic updates when possible.

3. Be careful what you download
   When downloading files from the internet, be careful and make sure they come from a trustworthy source. Scan all files with your anti-virus software before opening them and immediately delete any files flagged to be dangerous.

4. Give your browser a boost
   Your new computer comes with default settings, but these can probably be more secure if you customize your security settings. Make sure you keep your browser constantly up-to-date and clear cache or delete browsing history when you are done with your browsing session so that your login details, identity, passwords, banking details or any other information remain untraceable and confidential.

Keeping Safe on Mobile Devices

Your mobile devices contain a lot of information about you and if you're not careful, a cybercriminal could steal it. Your mobile phone is a very versatile tool. You use it to take photos, get your bearings, pay for your purchases, see the time, and occasionally make phone calls.

All of these features are great, but they require you to share personal, financial, and geolocation data. And if a cybercriminal manages to steal this information, the consequences can be disastrous. That's why securing your devices is so important.

1. Always update your phone or tablet
   Operating system updates can include a completely new version of the system or a simple fix to improve security, fix bugs or improve functionality. Always update your devices when prompted, or turn on the automatic update if possible.

2. Be careful with Bluetooth
   Bluetooth technology makes it possible to connect devices located close to each other such as headphones, a printer, a keyboard, a mobile device or a computer. Since your mobile devices carry sensitive data, it is important to take additional precautions when connecting your devices over Bluetooth. Always turn off your Bluetooth when not in use to prevent hackers from detecting/accessing your device

3. Beware of unknown apps
   Avoid downloading applications developed by companies that give little information about themselves. A legitimate business will give out their contact information, website address, and email addresses. Only download apps from trusted sources like App Store or Google Play. Remember: even trusted organizations can host insecure applications. If in doubt, search the Internet to check an app's security features and read customer reviews of that app before downloading.

4. Lock your devices
   The more you use your mobile devices, the more data you store on them. Losing your phone can result in identity theft and have serious financial consequences. Cyber criminals can also use your device to infect the devices of everyone who is in your contact list. Using password or biometric settings like your fingerprints to unlock your screen can prevent cyber criminals from gaining access to all the data stored in your device. You can also enable auto-lock to have your device automatically lock after a short period of inactivity.

Other Things to Know

Is keeping safe online on computers and smartphones all there is to cybersecurity? Of course not. There are other things to know like healthy online habits to cultivate so as to avoid falling prey to cyber criminals. Being a victim of a cyber attack could make you lose your financial stability, expose you to more threats, or even lose your reputation as regards your personal brand online. Hence, you must take control of your security online.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity is not only for individuals to take cognizance of, organizations all over the world are also facing cyber threats as hackers continue to quadruple in their numbers daily. If you're working in an organization, you should share this article with your boss so they can start taking cybersecurity security measures as required. Now that you've learnt how to keep safe and protected against cybercrimes, consider taking a course on cybersecurity on our website to take your basic knowledge to an advanced level.