Cybersecurity is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks from hackers and spammers or unauthorized access.
Every day, businesses and individuals are faced with threats of spammers hacking their confidential information,
so the services of cybersecurity professionals are employed to protect this confidential information.
Causes of cybercrime
Personal gain: a lot of people engage in cybercrime for their gain, they do this by hacking people’s credit cards and stealing their money
Revenge: most people engage in this to hurt other people, they hack into this person’s profile and leak their private information
How to improve cybersecurity
Cybersecurity practices are essential for protecting your personal and professional data from cyber threats. Here are some best practices to help you stay safe online:
Use strong and unique passwords
Don’t be lazy when creating a password, be creative and create strong passwords that are not easily guessable,
your passwords should be a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Don’t use your birthday as your password.
Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a second form of authentication which help to keep your account more secure,
It helps to verify that it’s you who is accessing the account and not a scammer, for better security, activate your two-factor authentication.
Don’t click unverified links:
links are ways scammers use to carry out their activities, before you click on any link, double-check to ensure it’s not a scammers link.
Don’t click on unverified emails:
If you suspect an email, don’t click on it because someone might be impersonating another person to get private information you
Avoid public network: when you visit a public place, avoid using their network as whatever you send using these networks is vulnerable
Use anti-virus or anti-malware:
When connected to the web, you can’t have control of viruses or malware, the best thing to do is to install an antivirus or anti-malware.
Train your employees on cybersecurity
If everyone becomes conscious of cyber security, it will be difficult for individuals or organizations to fall victim to cybercrime,
A single mistake from an employee who does not know cyber security will cost the organization a lot
Employ a white hat:
A white hat is a hacker who helps to expose security risks and help you improve your cybersecurity,
Employing one will be beneficial to the organization as this professional will help detect security risks you never knew about
Keep your software up to date:
Regularly update your software, including your operating system and anti-virus software, to ensure that you have the latest security patches and features.
Be cautious of phishing scams:
Phishing scams use fake emails or websites to trick you into providing sensitive information.
Use a virtual private network (VPN):
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it more difficult for hackers or your network providers to intercept your data.
Use a VPN when using public Wi-Fi or accessing sensitive information online.
Control access to sensitive files:
Access to sensitive files should be limited to a few people rather than everyone in an organization,
When everyone has access to these sensitive files, it becomes easy for these files to be hacked
Backup your data using cybersecurity
Data can be lost once there is a security breach to avoid losing your data, regularly back up your data to an external hard drive or cloud storage
Limit your personal information online:
you can’t be too careful because you don’t know who’s at the other end,
Avoid sharing too much of your personal information with people online,
limit the amount of personal information you share and adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
By following these cybersecurity best practices,
You can protect your personal and professional data from cyber threats and stay safe online.
conclusion
Cybersecurity is very important as it helps us protect our devices and data from hackers.