Cybercrimes have been on the increase, with many unaware victims. When we hear about cybercrimes, we automatically think about hackers. But cybercrime is not just about hacking. It goes beyond that. Many people today use their devices, such as phones, laptops, and computers, to transact money and share private information at other times. We store our private information and secrets, thinking that all is safe just because we don't share our devices with other people. But what most people don't know is that nothing is safe online. If anything storing very private information in mobile devices is quite dangerous.
Cybercrime is a crime that is committed online. Cybercrime can range from identity theft, financial theft, online stalking, and harassment. Most cyber criminals mainly target computers and hand gadgets like phones and laptops. Cybercrimes are primarily listed as terrorist threats since they always have a hidden motive, and most terrorists are involved in cybercrime.
Have you ever been a victim of any cybercrime and wondered how to avoid and protect yourself from being a victim of cybercrime? Today we will talk about the strategies you can follow to avoid being a victim of cybercrime.
You are less likely to be targeted by cybercriminals if you use solid passwords. Most people use common passwords that make it easy for cybercriminals to hack into their computers, like 1234 or their middle name. You should avoid very obvious passwords like your birth date or your sister's name. Use passwords with characters, words, numbers, and punctuation marks; the password should not be less than ten words. Then avoid using the same password on all your gadgets and other personal things like bank accounts. Also, do not share any of your passwords with anyone.
Many young people today enjoy sharing almost everything about themselves on social media. Many share about their families, favorite friends and pets, and, to some extent, every place they travel to. This oversharing of information can make them victims of cyber criminals where. They can face harassment or identity theft very quickly. It's okay to post pictures of what you love doing, but avoid sharing very private information. Most cyber criminals use the personal information you share online to stalk you, while others try to hack into your computers and mobile phone through the many clues you leave online.
We live in a world where almost everyone is on their gadgets everywhere. This is very common in public places. Most public places have internet connectivity, which can be very tempting to most people since they want to use that internet to scroll through social media or have a video chat with their friends. Most cybercriminals target crowded places where people are unaware or ignorant of the dangers they are exposing themselves to.
Cybercriminals can easily hack into your computers and phones and see what you are sharing with your friends, and this can make you a victim of stalking and, to some extent, identity theft. It is best to use your internet connection and avoid public internet connectivity.
Most people go to tinder or Facebook and meet someone and like them just because of their profile picture. Then they start sharing information about themselves, like where they work, their birthday, and friends, and sometimes agree to send their bank account details just because the person has promised them some money.
These strangers that we mostly meet online cannot be trusted since some are cybercriminals trying to fish information from you to steal from you financially. Many security authorities tell people to avoid sharing their personal information with strangers online since they could become a victim of cybercrime.
This is mainly for people who use computers daily for work or transactions. You must install an antivirus on your computer or any other software to avoid unknown sources from stilling your data. It is also essential that you update your antivirus regularly to prevent your software from getting a virus.
Installing and updating the antivirus in your computer will help prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your computer and conducting any malicious activity in your software without your knowledge. This is mainly common for big organizations, which can face financial losses if they do not update their software.
Most cybercriminals usually target home internet connections that are not well-secured. The first thing to do is to purchase your internet from licensed and trusted internet providers. Avoid buying your internet from non-licensed providers since they can sell your personal information to cybercriminals whenever possible.
It would help if you secured your internet connection with a VPN which helps prevent outside sources from hacking into your internet connection, stilling your financial data information, and, to some extent stalking you. Monitor your kids if you are a parent and see what they are clicking to avoid them from clicking permissions that might make the home internet connection insecure.
Most cybercriminals create fake apps intending to target unaware people into downloading the application into their phones or computers. This is most common with betting and quick money-making apps since these are the most common things that attract most people.
Cybercriminals target you when you download the application by stealing your data and personal information that you have used in registration. They can also hack into your laptop or phone since they will have information about where you downloaded the app and which device you use. It is, therefore, best if you avoid engaging in the installation of suspicious apps to avoid being an easy victim of cybercrime.
Most public computers are not secured with privacy settings. This means anyone can hack into that computer and retrieve any information you might have previously used during your scrolling activities. Also, when sitting in a public space using public computers, the person sitting next to you can see what you are doing on your computer, including the password you have entered and what message or text you have deleted. That person can be a cybercriminal, and he can extract the information you were keying in and use it to hack into your account once you are gone.
You must buy your computer or laptop, secure it with antivirus, and use it whenever needed. This is safer than using public computers.
Phishing and emails are emails sent to your device, mostly on phones and laptops, to compel you to share your personal information. Most phishing is mainly aimed at stealing data and financial information. The easiest way to recognize a phishing message is if the message has an odd number or the sender uses a private number.
If you notice that an email or message is most likely a phishing message, delete the message or email without opening it. This will block the cybercriminal from accessing any personal and private information stored in your phone.
Authentication protocols are protocols that are put in place to prevent an authorized person from getting or logging in to your account. This is most common with banks and schools. This is where the authentication protocols can range from questions only you can know the answer to them. The authentication protocols can be placed if someone tries to log in to your account twice using the wrong password.
This will help prevent cybercriminals from carrying out malicious activities. It also prevents you from losing money from your bank account or any other place.
Many people today do their shopping online for groceries and electronics, and sometimes they even book concerts and flights online. When shopping online, it is advisable that you only shop from sites that have an HTTPS link since sites with HTTP links are primarily unsecured and are mainly used in phishing data. When buying things online, only send your money and personal information to sites that are commonly used and that you have used before to avoid being a victim of cybercrime.
Also, you must avoid using public internet connections when shopping online since these internet connections are not secure, and cybercriminals can easily hack into your computer and steal information and sometimes your financial information.
Cybercrimes have been rising due to the overuse of social media and the lack of literacy regarding cybercrimes and how to protect oneself. You must learn how to prevent yourself from being a victim of cybercrime to avoid losing your personal information and data. If you are a victim of cybercrime of any type, you should seek the help of authorities to prevent the problem from escalating.
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