Why you shouldn’t overlook cybersecurity; When it comes to technology, most people tend to shy away from learning about the more intricate side of things. However, when it comes to personal devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, there is a real risk of your data being stolen by cybercriminals.
Why You Shouldn’t Overlook Cybersecurity
You might have ignored cybercrime and Cybersecurity for a while, but that simply is no longer possible. The problem is that cybercrime is on the rise, and it’s rising rapidly! You can no longer stick your head in the sand and hope you don’t become a victim. This is a broad theme, but all you need is the basic knowledge to keep your device safe at all times.
While it might sound daunting and complicated, Cybersecurity is incredibly important. Of course, this is a broad theme, but all you need is the basic knowledge to keep your device safe at all times. Below you’ll know why you shouldn’t overlook cybersecurity and see numerous reasons why cybercrime is rising so drastically; and why you need to invest in premium cybersecurity tools for your devices.
Why is Cybercrime Rising?
Before we get into the topic of which cybersecurity tools you need to install on your device, let’s first explore why cybercrime has suddenly spiked. Cybercrime has always been around since and was first introduced in the internet age — it’s nothing new. However, it has been gradually increasing in frequency and severity over the past few decades; and we’ve seen a large spike specifically in the past two years — there are two main reasons for this.
The first reason is that more and more people are investing in personal devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Many of these people aren’t aware of the dangers they face online, making them more susceptible to falling victim to cyberattacks. There are billions of devices worldwide, with new devices being purchased every single day. Think about which households you know of that don’t have a single device in use (whether it’s a computer, a phone, or a tablet). With more people to target, successful cyberattacks will naturally increase, which has resulted in this sudden spike in cybercrime.
The sudden increase in cybercrimes
Another reason for this sudden spike in cybercrime is a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, when the pandemic was at its height in 2020, the world went into a global lockdown. People weren’t allowed to leave their homes, which meant keeping themselves entertained and working from home.
This led to a colossal increase in screen time as many people struggled with the idea of being unable to go outdoors. From watching Netflix to browsing the web, people were trying to find different ways to keep themselves busy. Unfortunately, this made them an easy target for cybercriminals with malicious intentions of stealing personal data from innocent victims. This is why you shouldn’t overlook cybersecurity, and top that off, several systems were left unattended due to lockdowns.
At this point, so you might be wondering how cybercriminals target their victims with cyberattacks. In the next section, we’ll discuss the number one threat you could face if you’re online; and you have likely encountered it before.
Know Why You Shouldn’t Overlook Cybersecurity
The Dangers You Might Face
So, phishing is the most common method that cybercriminals use to launch their cyber attacks. Unfortunately, phishing has been around for many years and has claimed many victims ever since the Internet became popular.
In its simplest form, cybercriminals send a deceptive email to the victim’s inbox, asking them to interact with a link or also attachment in the email. Interacting with either of these will give the hacker the upper hand. Simply put, phishing is a form of malicious social engineering.
Firstly, interacting with an attachment in a phishing email will cause malicious software such as viruses, spyware; or even ransomware to be installed on your device. Furthermore, malware is often installed in the background so that the victim is not aware that malware is being installed on their device.
Clicking on a link may also prompt you to install malware on your device. A fraudulent link can also direct you to a fake website that hackers have set up. So, the website will be rigged with a keylogger; which will copy everything you type into the website and give it straight to the cybercriminals; this can often be login credentials, personal information, or even your banking details.
Phishing
Phishing has developed significantly since then, though. Hackers have started using social engineering — the act of manipulating and deceiving victims in various ways, including phishing; to create more convincing scams that people are more likely to fall for. That’s why you shouldn’t overlook cybersecurity, but when it comes to phishing, they do it by configuring the email as if it’s from a person or company you know and trust, like Netflix or your bank.
Phishing has also spilled over into social media platforms. Hackers use incentives such as giveaways and competitions to lure in unsuspecting victims and steal their personal information or banking details. Targeting victims on social media is easy because everyone follows pages, profiles, and groups based on their hobbies and interests.
How to Stay Safe Online
And so, how do you ensure that your device is always safe? You don’t have to be an IT or cybersecurity expert to protect your device. It’s incredibly simple to do on your own by installing a few cybersecurity tools.
The first cybersecurity tool you need is premium antivirus software. Antivirus software will constantly scan your devices for any viruses; or other forms of malware, and it can also remove them from your device before they cause any major harm. Investing in premium antivirus software with extra features is always a good idea. Moreover, one feature to look out for is the ability to scan emails, websites, and links to find potential phishing scams in real time.
You should also consider investing in a premium VPN. A VPN or Virtual Private Network encrypts your internet connection and masks your physical location. This makes it impossible for anyone to see what you are doing with your device. Even ISPs and governments cannot track Internet activity. In other words, it’s the ultimate privacy and security tool, especially while traveling and using unsecured connections.
