Cyber Security: Fundamental for Secure Internet Access

There are almost 4.57 billion internet users worldwide, which is 59% of the world population. These numbers are increasing and more people around the world are getting internet access via smartphones, computers.

Countries around the world are moving towards the digital economy. Online transaction is expected to grow 17% and amounts to a total of US$8,266,917 million by 2024. 

• US FBI reported a 300% increase in reported cybercrimes since COVID-19. (Cyberint Solutions)
• In the 2019 DBIR, 94% of malware was delivered by email (Enterprise version).
• There is a hacking attempt every 39 seconds. (Cyberint Solutions)
• In 2016, Uber reported that hackers stole the information of over 57 million riders and drivers

All these statistics are enough to emphasize the need for cybersecurity to secure internet access.

In this blog, you are going to read some fundamentals steps that enable a person to enjoy secure internet access.

Create a Strong Password

Your password is like the lock on your house door. Once someone manages to open it your privacy is under threat. Choose a strong password is not that hard and most of you might be well aware of it. But when it comes to using a password for accounts you don't use regularly, we all tend to switch towards using a weak password. All such similar accounts linked to your one email increase the possibility of a hacking attack when one of your accounts is compromised.

Common mistakes while creating a password -

• Your password should contain at least six letters, the more the better.
• A password consisting of different cases, symbols, and numbers are usually considered as strong passwords.
• Avoid using your name, friend's name, username, D.O.B, 123456, QWERTY, abc123 as your password.
• Don’t use the same password for more than two accounts.

Example: How to Make a Strong & Easy to Remember Password

Sometimes, a simple sentence can be modified to create a unique password.

Text like – I love reading books 24 x 7 can be written in the password - i<3RdingBks@24*7.

You can use your Favorite Songs, Movies, Quotes, Dialogue, etc and convert these into a strong password. The benefit of using such a password is that they are easy to remember and can be updated easily after a month or two when your favorite Movie or Song change.

Use Anti-Virus Software

Anti-virus, as the name suggests is a software that detects and removes harmful viruses present in your devices. It also protects your device from any future virus attack.

Anti-virus also helps in keeping your system secure while surfing the internet. It tracks your activity on the internet if you visit a website that is not secure your anti-virus will give a notification.

It also gives you a warning notification when a website asks for permission to your camera, location, microphone, or access data stored in your device. This gives you a more secure internet experience as your anti-virus provides you the detailed information about the websites you are visiting and what information these websites want to access.

Tip:

Scammers keep on updating their phishing methods and with new viruses created to steal your digital information. To tackle this Anti-virus software keep their security up to date and to improve their efficiency. Keeping your Anti-virus updated will give you secure internet access.

Avoid using Public Wi-Fi

We all come across Free Wi-Fi connection in our day to day life. Places like Coffee shops, Hotels, Restaurants, offer free Wi-Fi to their customers as a marketing strategy.

Connecting to a public Wi-Fi will put your personal information at risk. Hackers cleverly put themselves between the user and wifi connection. Now, instead of the user communicating with Wi-Fi they are sending information to hackers first.

Hackers can easily access the information a user sent via this connection be it E-mail, Business data, Credit card details, and the list goes on.

Few Tips:

• Avoid doing any Fund transfer when connected to a public Wi-Fi. Hackers can access useful information like Credit or Debit card, Internet Banking details.
• Always use the HTTPS option on websites, as this provides an extra layer of security by encrypting the information.
• Use a VPN while surfing on Public Wi-Fi. VPN creates a secure connection and shields your online activity on Public Wi-Fi.

Know about Apps Permissions

1 in 36 mobile devices had high-risk apps installed (Broadcom)

There are close to three billion Smartphone users around the world. A normal smartphone user has around 20 or more applications installed. These apps collect different types of information from users to work efficiently.

For example, Uber application will track your Gps location, Instagram uses your phone's camera as per their functionality.

These apps when installed ask permission to access users' information like contacts, location, camera, microphone as per their requirement. 

Tips:

• Read the privacy policy, if it's not clear where personal data will go, don't install the application.
• Read the permissions required for the app. There is no point in allowing a Flashlight application to access your location.
• While giving application permission first ask yourself, for what purpose you are going to use this application for or what features you will use. For example, if you don't want to use the calling or voice recording option on Instagram then there is no point permitting application to access the microphone.
• For already installed applications you can go to settings and see what permissions they have. You can turn off permissions for the features you don't use. If an application stops working or starts behaving differently it’s time to search for an alternate or think about deleting the application.
• For Facebook go to "Apps & Websites" check what permission and information these third-party sites access. You can edit permission and if there is an old app you don't use, delete your personal information for these apps.
• For Google accounts, go to permissions check and edit what information you share with third-party applications

Educate Yourself

95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error. (Cyberintsolutions)

The most common mistake people do, download a malicious file, that infects the internal network and slowly leaks your private and confidential information. However, such types of attacks can be prevented by updating your cyberliteracy.

Hackers around the world are using new ways to get valuable information from your devices. Updating your knowledge about these new Phishing attacks, Hacking attacks, Ransomware attacks happening around the world has is now a necessity.

Reading blogs about cybersecurity, just like you are doing right now, helps you in finding loopholes in your systems and how you can protect yourself from these types of Internet scams.

Conclusion:

The key to enjoying a secure internet experience is to constantly find loopholes in your system and update security. With increasing internet access worldwide, cybersecurity has now become a necessity. Constantly update your knowledge, review your security, share knowledge with everyone, and make sure your information stays safe and secure while surfing the internet.

I hope the information provided in this blog added to your knowledge and hope that you found some useful tips to improve your cybersecurity.

You can read my other blogs on Medium

Thank you.