Cyber-Criminals are nasty worms of the society and they may be working as a part of an organization or like for an individual agenda. However, they’ve had the power and knowledge to access your most precious data. If Cyber-Criminals want to target a particular company, for example, they can find vast amounts of information on that company just by searching the web. The Cyber-Criminals can then employ that information to exploit soft spots in the company’s security, which puts the data you’ve entrusted to that company in danger of getting compromised.
Think of your home computer as a company. What can you do to protect it against cybercriminals? Instead of sitting back and waiting to get infected, why not equip your-self and fight back?
In this article we have covered some tips that can help you to deal with such scenarios
This keeps Cyber-Criminals from accessing your computer through vulnerabilities in outdated programs. Most of the anti-malware software are specially designed with multiple technologies to provide protection against spyware, ransomware, and viruses. Without proper malware protection, your system can attract malware and that same malware can exploit the firewall of your system. One has to also check whether their operating system has both built-in Anti-Virus and firewall by default whether those programs are compatible with the additional cyber-protection software. If not then get yourself an antivirus as soon as possible. For extra security, one can enable Microsoft product updates so that the Office Suite can be updated at the same time.
One must always protect their Wi-Fi with a unique and encrypted password, and do refreshyour equipment at least once in a year.
This makes it too easy for threat actors to steal your connection and download illegal files. Some routers are extremely vulnerable and they have not been patched property. Newer routers allow you to provide guests with segregated wireless access. In addition to that, they make extremely convenient to change password frequently.
Password is a significant tool that protects all of your devices, including your desktop, laptop, phone, smart-watch, tablet, camera, lawnmower…you get the idea. The ubiquity of mobile devices makes them especially vulnerable. Lock your phone and employ a finger scan lock for iPhone and passcode or pattern lock for Android. Most people forget that smartphones are essentially microcomputers that fit right into your pocket. Your smartphone contains an immense amount of hidden treasure in form of personal information and if the Cyber-Criminal gets a hold of that information, then it can have devastating consequences on your personal life.
One must always produce complex passwords full of symbols and never use similar passwords across multiple services. If that’s as painful as a stake to a vampire’s heart, use a password manager like Last Pass or 1Password. For extra protection, ask about two-step authentication. Several services have only recently started to offer 2FA, and they require the user to initiate the process. Believe me; the extra friction can come in handy. Even for a Cyber-Criminal, it is extremely difficult to get an access of your device with Two-factor authentication, as without the unique one-time passcode by the service provider no one can get inside your private space.
By doing a simple Google search everyone can figure out your mother’s maiden name or where you graduated from high school. Consider answering like a crazy person. If JP Morgan Chase Bank asks, “What was the name of your first girlfriend?” reply, “You’re Wife.” Just don’t forget that’s how you answered when they ask you again.
You are free to use any reliable erasing software, but make a clean slate when you are planning on selling your old systems. For those looking to pillage your recycled devices, this makes information much more difficult to recover. One must always remove the platters where the information is stored then destroying them is the way to go, if the information you want to protect is extremely critical.
Phishing campaigns still exist, but cybercriminals have become much cleverer than that Nigerian prince who needs your money. Hover over links to see their actual URLs (as opposed to just seeing words in hyperlink text). Also, check to see if the email is really from the person or company claiming to have sent it. Always try to pay attention to awkward sentence construction or formatting, as these types of scammers are not well educated. If something still seems dicey, then perform a quick research on the Internet with the subject line. Others may have been scammed and posted about it online.
It doesn’t matters which way you cut it, data stored on the cloud doesn’t belong to you and there are very few cloud storage solutions that offer encryption for data at rest.
