Tips and Practices for Securing Yourself in the Digital World

Have you ever received a message on your phone with an unknown link from a random number or realized that your Facebook has been hacked?

It can be annoying trying to recover an account that has been stolen or even nerve wrecking to know your information was part of a data breach. This presentation  will cover some of the key aspects to help keep your devices and your network secure.

Bringing awareness to the practices used in cybersecurity

Common Cyberattacks in 2021

The number one attack and most popular method used by hackers is in the form of phishing. This usually happens when an individual receives an email with a bad link. When the user clicks on the link, hackers gain access to the user’s data through malware and can potentially affect the users’ files and OS of the PC. The second most common attack is ransomware.

 

Security Updates

It’s very common that devices receive updates. When an update is released, it usually means the software company found a “security flaw” in their code and they fix it by rolling out an updated version.

 

Keep yourself protected with these tips:

  • Keep all software on your devices up to date.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication.
  • Use long and creative passwords.
  • Think before you click.
  • Report phishing.
  • Use secure Wi-Fi.

 

Above is an example of multi-factor authentication. Many web sites have this security feature.

 

 

“Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don’t let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six months.” – Clifford Stoll

“IoT without security = Internet of Threats” – Stéphane Nappo

“The three golden rules to ensure computer security are: do not own a computer; do not power it on; and do not use it.” – Robert Morris

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it”– Stéphane Nappo

 

5 Ways to secure yourself from hackers

  • Use anti-virus software on all devices.
  • Update and patch all devices.
  • Use dual-factor authentication when prompted.
  • Use a password storage service.
  • Use a firewall.

 

Conclusions

It’s very interesting, the amount of cyberattacks that happens everyday. If employees are considered the weakest link in the security aspect of cyber, then addressing the main issues and consequences of this aspect may bring better understanding to this field.

Considering 71.1 million people become a victim in a cyber crime yearly and individuals lose an average of $225 in phishing scams, cybersecurity needs to be discussed and talked about more to bring individuals awareness on how they can protect themselves and their data. Individuals need to understand the whole scope on the effect they can potentially cause within the workplace network as well to limit the risks of data breaches. Recent studies have indicated that employees are the weakest link in the chain when it comes to cybersecurity.

 

References

Date Accessed: 10/4/2022