If you were born into a technological world, or if you’re just a conscientious person, you probably think you’re a cyber genius. However, most of us have unwittingly put our online security at risk.
There have already been more than $95 million in losses from internet frauds in Australia in 2019.
Personal information can be wiped out, or you could lose your funds, your identity, or even your job if you’re targeted by hackers.
Fortunately, there is a way to defeat the con artists. follow these five simple actions.
Protect yourself with these five simple suggestions
Breaches in data security
There are a host of reasons why data is compromised. An employee or contractor with access to private information, such as Capital One, can be the source of these breaches. A third party operating on equipment connected to a company’s operational computer system can be negligent and cause them, as was the case with Target. Theft of information by malicious actors, as was the case with Equifax, can also lead to data breaches. What we’ve learnt from these occurrences is helping to shape the future of cybersecurity, and the list could go on and on.
Here are a few of the most recent recommendations for avoiding data breaches:
- Conducting regular risk assessments and securing your servers in both a physical and an electronic manner.
- Contractors who have access to computer systems must undergo background checks.
- Security Information and Event Management and Network Detection and Response should be prioritised.
- Require your suppliers to maintain strong cybersecurity and to confirm their efforts to comply.
- It’s best to have an incident response strategy in place today, rather than waiting until a problem occurs.
Make sure your passwords are strong enough
At howsecureismypassword.net (external link), you may test the security of your passwords (use something like your original password to test its strength).
Remember that the longer a password is, the more secure it is. Passwords should include at least 12 characters and be difficult to decipher.
With this method, you’ll never have to remember your password again.
Passwords that should be avoided
You should change your passwords immediately if you have any of the following or similar variations, which are regarded as the most popular and easiest to crack.
- password
- 123456
- 987654321
- 123123
- QWERTY
- 111111
- 123456 (or any other sequence of numbers in chronological order)
Never put your faith in anyone (on emails)
Keep an eye out for bogus emails and hacked sites, even if it sounds extreme (spam and phishing). These put your personal information at danger and can infect your computer with malware. Remember:
- mails from unknown senders should not be opened
- unexpected email attachments to be thrown away
- Use your browser address bar instead of clicking on links.
Protect your device
Mobile devices can be exploited to gain access to your personal information and financial information, as well as steal your identity and irreplaceable material like images and messages if they are lost or stolen. By encrypting your devices:
- An anti-virus programme should be installed
- If your device supports remote locking and/or wiping, you can
- set up a password, gesture, or fingerprint that must be provided before programmes can be installed.
- You can also hide Bluetooth when not in use and disable automatic connection to networks.
Conclusion
Your success against cyberattacks and data breaches will be aided by careful preparation. Few would argue that the advice in this article would not have prevented or considerably reduced the negative impacts of past disasters if they had been applied. This is the most important step in preventing these kinds of bad incidents from occurring, so make sure that everyone in the company is on board.
What are you waiting for?
You may be surprised to learn that there is a global lack of cyber security professionals. Consider a career as a cybercrime investigator if you have an interest in technology or are currently employed in the field.
Read More:
Why You Need To Keep Your Cybersecurity Updated
How To Conduct A Vulnerability Assessment (In Cybersecurity)
