When the World Wide Web first came to life in the 1990s, it opened up new possibilities as well as a whole new threat. Spam affected email accounts, computer viruses wreaked havoc on company networks, and hacking became a major issue. Hackers could take your personal information, take over your online banking or credit account, and sell your personal information on the dark web for a large amount of money.
Your online existence is more complex than ever. You’re using a smartphone, shop online, make purchases online, log onto Facebook and even your IoT devices and internet-connected appliances monitor and report on your activities. All of this information is available to hackers, whether they’re part of a criminal organization or just a random fanatic with an agenda of political inclination.
Create strong passwords for all of your online accounts. Use a password manager to manage them. Consider using two-step authentication. This provides an additional layer of security by requiring you to enter a code that is sent via email or phone in addition to your login password. Encrypt your hard drive so that hackers cannot access your data even if they are able to gain access to your device or computer. Don’t jailbreak or root your phone, and don’t leave your computer running all day. This will ruin the performance of your device and open it to cyberattacks. You can minimize your risk by using the right software for malware scanning as well as uninstalling and encryption of data.