In the 21st century, the rise in technologies and advanced software has made it possible for people to access information from a corner of the world. It has made it possible to communicate better. However, it also brings the challenge of invasion of personal data. There has been a notable rise in cybercrimes and data theft. Apart from financial data, even your private data, such as your home address, email id, etc., can be used for malicious activities.
Cybercrime is basically the theft of data using a network for financial, political, or personal motives. Cybercriminals today use highly advanced techniques and are skilled in terms of organized cybercrimes. However, this advancement in technology also allows us to protect our data. ExpressVPN’s blog piece reveals many ways to protect our personal data against theft. The right use of technical gadgets and software can help with this. Here are some ways to do so.
1. Ensure your Social Media Data stays Private
The use of social media has increased drastically today. Due to this, hackers and malicious groups target this mode for stealing data. Skilled cybercriminals track down digital footprints in the form of data shared publically to find relevant information. Data such as your pet’s name or the school you studied in can be sold on the dark web. The data can be easily used against you since these are the most widely asked safety questions. Using this data, hackers and malicious groups can easily steal identities to conduct illicit activities, illegal gambling, copyright infringement, and much more.
2. Always create Strong Passcodes
One of the basic mistakes while creating an account is creating predictable passwords. Remember to create a unique and long passcode of at least ten characters when you go for a passcode. Use a combination of alphabets, numbers, and symbols for better protection. This way, you will create an unsurpassable barrier for hackers who rely on data stolen from common modes such as social media. Remember, complex passcodes are the strongest. Also, do not repeat passcodes for different websites. If you cannot remember the passcodes, using a passcode management application helps.
3. Always stay up-to-date
The present era has made the use of social apps and operating systems a necessity. However, it is more important to update these operating systems and software. Hackers and malicious groups continuously evolve to break through systems using different techniques, such as viruses. They try and exploit the loopholes in the software and systems. Updating them on a timely basis works as a patch to these loopholes, thereby preventing cybercrimes. You can also turn on the auto-update feature to ensure timely updation without any delay.
4. Encrypt your Network
When using the network, encrypting your data is a good idea. For this, one of the ways is using a virtual private network or a VPN. When you access the network via a public mode, chances are high that your data might be stolen by snoopers waiting for easily accessible data. It is especially useful for public Wi-Fi such as cafes, hotels, etc. Even when cybercriminals get to your data, they will not find anything since it will be in encrypted packets.
5. Do not Click on Unknown Links
Another common way of stealing data is by breaching systems. For this, malicious groups send links with embedded viruses. Emails and text messages are ways you might receive such unwanted links. Once you click on these links, the virus enters the systems and gets access to all your data, such as passcodes, accounts, and other private data. Never open any unknown emails or links. To avoid this, spam email detection software is also available, which will help you to safeguard your privacy.
Conclusion
The 21st century has been an era of technological advancements. However, there has been a significant increase in cybercrimes owing to technical progress. Cybercriminals usually steal data either for financial theft or to steal data to sell on the dark web. As per a statistic, data breaches caused a loss of about 4.5 billion USD to businesses in the year 2022. There are several ways to safeguard your data, such as creating strong passwords, network encryption, timely updates, etc.
Phishing and malware attacks are among the most common cybercrimes. Protection from cybercrimes involves following some simple steps of common knowledge. It involves using the right barriers and ensuring safety at all times when accessing the network. Reporting cybercrimes is the next step to ensure timely justice and prevention of large-scale cybercrime. It is necessary to safeguard against such attacks by following a step-wise cybersafety guide. These steps will ensure data protection by mitigating cyber risks.