Protecting Yourself Online

The best way to protect yourself from cyber criminals is by following basic security precautions, such as frequently updating software and using strong passwords. It is also important not to trust everything you see online—even if it appears to be coming from a trusted source. For instance, hackers may set up fake web pages that appear identical to legitimate ones in order to steal personal information. It is always better to err on the side of caution when deciding whether or not to provide login credentials or other sensitive data over the internet (such as social media accounts). Another option for protecting yourself includes utilizing privacy-protecting browser extensions like uBlock Origin , which can filter out malicious ads and other web traffic that could potentially compromise your system.

Password Protection Protocols 

Hackers are constantly coming up with ways to exploit vulnerabilities in software and hardware, which means it is important to regularly update passwords—especially if you work at a high-profile company or organization that may be targeted by cybercriminals. Furthermore, many people use the same login credentials for multiple accounts, which is another security risk. If a hacker gains access to one account (such as an email), they can often use it to gain entry into others—so make sure you have unique passwords across all of your sites and services .

Threats Beyond Your Home Computer

Cybersecurity threats in the real world come from nefarious actors ranging from hackers to nation-states, but there are many ways they can cause you harm beyond online privacy and security . For instance, ransomware is malware that encrypts important files on a victim’s computer, then demands payment to decrypt them. Similarly, hackers can use cyber attacks on infrastructure systems like power grids and transportation networks as a form of terrorism—and these threats are even more concerning because they could result in physical harm.

Hackers Motives 

Hackers typically want one of three things when they attack a company or individual—data, money, and/or notoriety. When a cyber-attack is performed by nation-state actors like Russia , China , North Korea , Iran , etc., their goal may be to steal data in order to obtain military or economic intelligence. Meanwhile, cybercriminal organizations often demand a ransom to be paid in bitcoin (a digital currency) so that they avoid getting caught—and if their victims do not pay up quickly enough, sometimes the hackers will threaten them with public exposure of their data . Finally, some attackers may target individuals for notoriety and social engineering purposes—such as those who try to obtain access to celebrities’ email accounts hoping to score media attention from publishing personal information .

How Can Your Business Protect Itself?

Many large corporations have more resources at their disposal than individual users when it comes to cybersecurity , which means they are able to spend more money on advanced methods of protection. For instance, companies may use machine learning and behavior analytics to monitor employees’ network activity (and detect suspicious signs like an unusual connection to a foreign country) or invest in intelligence-driven security solutions that utilize threat data . On the other hand, smaller organizations can take steps like regularly updating their software , using multi-factor authentication when available , creating strong passwords using upper and lowercase letters with numbers/special characters (like “x” instead of “ex”), etc.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Although larger corporations are often targeted by nation state hackers because they have more data to steal, cybercriminal organizations increasingly focus their energies on attacking individual consumers . In fact, ransomware attacks against businesses actually decreased from 2016 to 2017 even though ransom demands increased during that time period—and many security researchers believe this is due to criminals shifting away from big companies and toward home users who don’t understand how dangerous malware can be . Additionally, other types of scams such as phishing emails continue targeting everyone since there’s no guaranteed return on investment if attackers successfully hack just one business or government agency. In closing it is important to report all crimes (online or in-person) so that law enforcement can take appropriate steps to reduce future risks and take the necessary precautions that were expressed in this blog to avoid potential threats.