December 28, 2020
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0Importance of Cyber Security In 2020-2021
All internet users, without exception, are at risk of being hacked through their computers, smartphones, and other devices with access to the global network. To prevent hackers from stealing personal data, damaging/deleting files for blackmail, and so on, various tools have been developed to protect against network attacks.
Are you interested in Cybersecurity Issues with Remote Work During Coronavirus? We’ve prepared a fully-fledged guide on ways to protect your data.
All measures that are taken to protect digital data, the health of computer systems, or even a single program are considered cybersecurity measures.
Today, we’ll consider the importance of cyber security and tell you how to protect yourself.
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Importance of cyber security
Since a lot depends on the stability of computerized systems in the modern world, cybersecurity is given great attention. Cybersecurity can easily be compared to fire safety. If a building is not equipped with smoke alarms and fire extinguishing systems, its operation cannot be considered safe for residents or employees.
It’s the same with computers. If, for example, personal/secret data stored on hard drives can be accessed by anyone and from anywhere, then their storage cannot be considered secure. And to protect them, you need to take comprehensive security measures, which is what cybersecurity experts do.
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What are the cybersecurity threats?
Hackers have come up with numerous ways to gain access to personal information and disrupt the operation of computer programs, devices, or entire systems, such as internet banking. Here are some of the most common types of network threats:
Phishing. This is one of the most commonly used hacking technologies, usually used to steal bank card numbers or authorization data (usernames/passwords) on certain sites. Attackers can send potential victims emails or messages in popular messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) which contain, for example, calls to click on a link or download an application. By doing this, the user, without knowing it, will give the fraudsters the information they need.
Malicious program. This is a classic computer hacking technology that everyone knows about. Viruses can perform any actions at all – up to granting full access to the victim’s computer. Malware often gets to your PC from the internet along with other downloaded files or instead of what you intended to download.
Social engineering. This term is applied to the actions of hackers trying to gain access to confidential information by studying the victim and then manipulating them to perform some actions, such as installing malware or giving away private data. This type of attack may also involve studying a victim in order to predict what their password is for a secure site.
Theft of internet traffic. Any data transmitted or received over the network can always be intercepted somewhere in the middle before reaching from one computer or mobile device to another. Using specialized software, attackers can decode “zeros and ones” into meaningful data – text messages, files, passwords entered on websites, etc.
Of course, this is not the entire list of existing network threats that everyone can face – not only cybersecurity experts but also ordinary users.
How to fight against cyber security threats
Of course, you don’t need to be a cybersecurity specialist to protect your digital life from hackers and scammers. It is enough to follow the well-known rules when working on the internet:
- Study the address of a site carefully.
Hackers often create copies of authorization pages of popular social networks, online banking systems, online stores, etc. The page may look identical to the original, but its address may not be the same.
- Don’t download any programs from links from e-mail, messages in messengers, social networks, etc.
It is better not to click on any links at all, especially if the message promises some winnings (on the internet, just as in reality, no one gives you money for nothing).
- Create complex passwords.
You can do this yourself or with the help of special programs that generate complex passwords. These include, for example, AZPassword. The main page of the AZPassword utility even has an online version of the password generator, as well as tips on how to create strong passphrases yourself.
These programs serve not only to bypass all kinds of censorship on the internet but also to encrypt all transmitted and received internet traffic. Thanks to a VPN, even if attackers intercept traffic, they will not understand what exactly the user sent or received because the information will be encrypted. In this article, you can find all the necessary information about setting up a VPN in Windows.
- Don’t install hacked programs on your computer.
For the sake of fairness, let’s say that, of course, not all hacked programs harm your computer. But no one gives guarantees – you will have to install them at your own risk. And if you find yourself in a hopeless situation with no choice but to use a hacked program, it is better to use a virtual environment to install it. From the virtual environment, no program will harm the data stored on hard drives and will not be able to steal something or encrypt your data, etc.
- Use the Utopia P2P ecosystem.
Utopia is a decentralized ecosystem that has been developed for secure and private internet browsing, file sharing, and data storage. It includes messenger, browser, email, crypto wallet, games, and more. Each user of the ecosystem stays anonymous during use. For registration, you don’t need to enter private data. Utopia generates a private key for each user that opens access to the ecosystem and personal data storehouse.
*Note: Don’t forget to use antivirus programs that protect against network threats (with a built-in firewall).
The future of cybersecurity
Today, speaking about the future of cybersecurity, we can only say one thing: every year, the number of threats will only grow. After all, in 2020, we saw that the pandemic had worsened the situation related to the number of cybercrimes. And the situation is unlikely to change soon.
Previously, our team has prepared the Updated Cyber Crime Statistics For 2020. The number of cyberattacks is surprising.
Therefore, dreams of a digital future should be postponed for a few more years – this is in a positive scenario. Otherwise, our dream will have to be realized by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
However, here is a list of what will shape the future of cybersecurity:
- Dependence on information technology
In the future, our dependence on information technology may grow several times over, and the fine line between the online and offline world will cease to exist.
- Large data volumes and system complexity
Future cybersecurity systems must be able to process large amounts of data, deal with large populations, and make real-time decisions.
- Internet of things
Many cyber threats pose significant challenges for professionals in all sectors. This means that there is an urgent need to expand technologies that can work with big data analytics, cognitive computing, and the internet of things at an advanced level to influence our connected world better.
Cloud infrastructure is becoming an increasingly lucrative target for hackers or cybercriminals, and the more it develops, the more threats it faces.
David Geer is a professional in the field of cybersecurity. He told our readers about cybersecurity in the future. Read the article and know what our digital world will look like.
