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Personal data is more valuable than any physical entity that one possesses in this era. Following this, protecting data must be your first priority. There have been suspicions of overseas hackers being involved in the US presidential campaign.
These incidents bring to light the importance of cybersecurity to protect sensitive information. The Cybersecurity Imperative, which is a new study produced by the Security Industry Association (SIA) with Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and ESI Thoughtlab, uncovered that cyberattacks cost up to $ 1 million or more.
Steps to prevent cyberattacks
To prevent such attacks, steps that can be taken are:
- Secure your social media accounts:
- Use different passwords for each of your social media accounts.
- Use a two-factor authentication system to provide an extra layer of security.
- Use whole disk encryption: Encrypted system such as File Vault on MacOS and Full Disk Encryption on Windows 10, makes personal data unreadable to anyone else without the right encryption. The encryption is scrambled and only the correct passwords can make the data readable.
- Use unconventional security systems: Securing your device with a passcode is not enough. Smart devices are more likely to get lost than stolen. Apps like Find my iPhone can help find the stolen data. Furthermore, in the worst-case scenario, it has its own self-destruct mode that deletes all data
- Reduce data sharing: Allowing websites to access personal information for their use can be risky. You never know what the companies might use this data for.
- Avoid using public computers: Previous users on the same device can easily install malware and viruses to retrieve your personal information. Thus, never share private financial or other details over any public device.
- Avoid using Free Wi-Fi: Hackers can plant bugs between the public router and your computer that can retrieve information. For precautionary reasons, public networks should be avoided.
- Keep software up-to-date: Keeping the existing operating system up-to-date, also known as patching, can eliminate any new vulnerabilities. Automatic patch updates can be enabled to make the work hassle-free.
- Strengthen browser security: Browsers have extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons that can be hacked and used to extract information from the browser. You can check the browser extensions regularly to see that nothing unnecessary is being collected by it.
- Be aware of the kind of scams: Researching the types of cyber viruses and attacks can increase your knowledge about how they work. This can help in detecting any phishing scams or infected ads.
Conclusion
Following the precautionary measures mentioned above, you can prevent yourself from being a victim of any of these cyberattacks. The chances of getting your data stolen will significantly decrease with the help of these tricks.
