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" Avoid becoming a victim of Cybercrime "
In this digital world, everything is digitally connected and cybercrime takes place through the internet. A simple computer user' to a businessman' handles financial and business affairs online using phones, tablets, computers and laptops. Cybercriminals use their skills to steal information and breakthrough individual's computers and a security system can also include bullying, hacking, email spoofing, phishing, information piracy, identity theft, intellectual property crime, forgery. There are some cybercriminals do more dangerous activities like revenge porn, harassment, cyber-stalking, bullying and child sexual exploitation. Anonymity making cybercrime easy and fastest-growing. So in this article, I am giving you a brief info about good online safety habits and how you can protect yourself from becoming a cyber victim.
Ways to protect yourself from cybercrime
- Passwords:- I suggest you to not use mobile no, birth dates, marriage anniversaries and your pet name as your password. Don't use the same password on different sites. You can use a password that contains upper, lower cases with a combination of special characters and it should contain at least 14 characters. It makes your password hard to crack for cyber-criminals. Don't share your password with anyone and change your passwords every 15 days if it's possible and if you have a network device or any home security devices make sure to change default passwords which are already set in a factory.
- Multi-factor authentication:- In two-factor authentication you receive a separate code on your registered email or mobile no when you try to login to your account. Nowadays many websites providing two-factor authentication. that enables an extra layer of security for you. If you have an option of two-factor authentication so enable it.
- Software updates:- latest software updates come with fewer flows and the latest security patches. So regularly update your mobile device or desktop because the latest software is less vulnerable to cybercriminals and it protects you against viruses, malware, and other online threats. If you use the latest updated devices, cybercriminals face difficulty gaining access to your device.
- Social media:- Share less information on social media because cybercriminals easily access our private data via social media. Information like your birthdate and your city make it easier for cybercriminals to hack your accounts or steal your identity. So sharing your information publicly in less amount is better.
- Antivirus:- Using an antivirus program is like adding an extra layer of security to our system because it detects a Virus, Backdoor, Malware, Trojan and helps us to remove them from our system. Make sure you should always update your antivirus to the latest version.
- Public wifi:- Using a public wifi can put you in trouble because if any cybercriminal is connected with the same wifi network they can see what you are sending and receiving across the network including what passwords and account information you enter while you’re connected.
- Security setting:- Enable fingerprint or passcode lock on your smartphone, tablets, etc and use a complex password to protect someone from easily accessing all your information.
- Popups, Text, Emails:- Cybercriminals can send you fraudulent emails, text messages, popups, online advertisements. So if it is looking doubtful don't click on it. Instead, open your internet browser and go to the website directly or contact to company or entity.
- Websites:- When you surf the internet check the website URL if it starts with https it means you are surfing a secure website because "s" stands for security this means our data is encrypted.
- Backup:- Always encrypt and Backup your data to another separate disk or system. Backup should be done regularly. So in the case of the attack, you will not lose any data.
- Kids and internet:- You have to teach your children about internet safety and how to use the internet safely without sharing their personal information with anyone, without taking them off from the social network.
[Note:- If you become a cyber victim you need to alert the local police]
Conclusion:- This article is all about how you can protect your self to become a cyber victim. Feel free to ask in the comment section if you have any queries.