Someone has sent you a link to your WhatsApp, email, or SMS: it seems that it’s about a prize you’ve won, you open it, double-click somewhere, and, surprise! It has led you to a dubious site where your data has been breached and you have become a victim of phishing!
This seems very easy for malicious users, so you need to improve cybersecurity habits and shield your computers and mobile devices with various actions and software to defend your privacy.
4 cybersecurity threats facing businesses and ordinary users:
Currently, 4 cyber threats have caused chaos among internet users and companies:
1. Spam: Those are mass emails or SMS that include supposed advertising or promotions, but when you click, they take you to malicious web pages that damage your computer with viruses.
2. Phishing: Through an email that appears to be trustworthy, it is also possible that double-clicking will take you to a link where cybercriminals steal your identity or some other information.
3. Identity theft: Cyber threats occur not only through emails, but now it is very common for cybercriminals to steal information from social network profiles and impersonate users to request money from their contacts or spread some personal information. Criminals also commit crimes or get some services under the stolen identity, so that later the victim is blamed or charged.
4. Ransomware: It is digital extortion in which the cybercriminal threatens the user by hijacking information from a computer and asking for money in return. This attack has been one of the most worrying lately since several computers may be damaged simultaneously, which has occurred in cases of some companies.
The digital era, without a doubt, has brought us enormous advantages, but as we immerse ourselves more in technologies, we are also more exposed to cybercriminals extorting us, stealing our money, confidential information, or even our identity.
So, here we show you 10 data breach prevention strategies to follow:
10 data breach prevention strategies:
Although you will currently find a lot of information on the subject, here we present the 10 essential points to build cyber secure environments:
1. Take care of your information:
Cybersecurity experts state that it is necessary to make backups of your information to keep it safe. It is very important that you do not click on anything you see, that you update your operating systems and programs, and get into the habit of deleting cookies periodically. They also recommend browsing only HTTPS sites. Do not store passwords on shared computers and do not make transactions or enter passwords when connected to a public network.
2. Passwords:
Precisely, the specialists warn that you should not share your passwords with any unknown person, and not use the same password on different platforms. Experts also advise that you change your passwords frequently.
On some platforms and services on the internet, there is even the option of sending you a warning message if you connect from a device other than the one you regularly use, so it is possible to detect if someone else wants to access your accounts.
3. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service:
Today, there are many leading VPN services available on the internet that provide privacy and security for telecommunications and internet users who use a PC or laptop and usually roam in unsecured areas. By using a VPN service, you can browse the internet safely.
4. Take actions to protect your data when shopping online:
A very important aspect is to investigate the sites where you are going to buy a product or request a service to know if they are safe, as well as to research the return and guarantee policies. Also, remember that you should not trust promotions that seem too good.
Likewise, experts reiterate that you do not use public networks to make purchases, you must also update your software and protect your computers with an antivirus.
5. Taking care of our data on commercial sites:
Also, it is important to have security measures in place to protect the personal data that you register on eCommerce sites, as well as limit the authorizations for the use of such information so that you only include the most essential to carry out the transactions.
6. Take care of your digital footprint:
It is almost impossible to delete everything you do on the internet, so take care of the information you share and if you consider it necessary, you can delete cookies and history to remove the more sensitive trace of data.
You can also check what information about you can be gathered from open resources by googling yourself or looking yourself up on Leadar. You can also check people search sites to see what personal details can be collected about you on the web.
7. Get actively involved in the digital transformation processes as a whole:
Cybersecurity is an essential element of a digital citizen, so we all must be involved in the digital ecosystem to build safe cyberspace.
8. The security of our financial data:
In addition to strictly personal data, it is necessary to take care of the financial details. It is preferable to protect the security of our information, by using digital payment services that keep our banking and financial data protected. Never provide data via calls or messages that you have not requested.
9. Do not miss to install Anti-virus:
An antivirus program is a logical thing. But we could not miss the first and most essential step when it comes to having the greatest security and protection on our computers. It is no other advice than to buy, install and configure an antivirus. If you are not very knowledgeable, you can always ask for help from the experts.
10. Firewall:
A firewall is a protection wall established between a computer and the internet. Windows includes its own that we can configure according to our requirements, although we can resort to other possibilities. It is an essential defense strategy against all kinds of threats, and for example, it blocks the entry of malicious pages that can put our system in danger.
Data breaches can cause a lot of trouble both to companies and individuals. You can lose money, a good image and even your identity. So, it is very important to follow these prevention strategies mentioned in this article.
