How to Keep Safe in Cyberspace

Major threats around the world impend through the internet at alarming rates.

• By Michael Volkmann
• Sep 10, 2018

Major threats around the world impend through the internet at alarming rates. Exponentially increasing concerns about the security of our most trusted businesses have shaken consumer sentiment about information security.

Cybersecurity Affects Businesses and Individuals Equally

On the business side, there has been an uneven rise in the cybersecurity industry. In truth, there is very little that businesses can do outside of rigorous examination of all open access points.

That system of security requires an unforgivable amount of employees and the right methodology for examination. This, combined with sufficient tools, is an often expensive solution to an unending problem that is only picking up steam as the access to technology continues to grow. In fact, as the scale of the internet of things continues to climb and become reality, the dangers of the interconnected world have become glaringly obvious.

However, there are many more factors to the issue of cybersecurity outside of business. Hackers will target anything or anyone that has access to something of value. This, in simple terms, means that everyone is a target and should be on the constantlookout for breaches of his or her networks and computerized systems.

This includes everything from smartphones to laptops. Anything that has valuable information is practically a treasure chest to hackers and you must be the relentless guardian against evil.

Defending Your Privacy is Up to You

Taking it a step further, your privacy is now the most precious commodity on the planet and millions of hackers are in a race to get yours.

In order to defend yourself, you must take the appropriate steps to make sure that your data cannot be easily absconded with. Most people do not use a virtual private network for instance, which can greatly improve your network travel security as it obscures your origination point and your intent.

That is to say, what you must do online is hide from any potential attackers and then, when found by a hacker, ensure that your data is so secure that they give up even trying to get to it.

Hacks are More Impactful than Ever

Nowadays, hackers are more persistent and the trouble they bring is now more devastating than ever. This is because our networks are lifelines to everything in our lives. Our smartphones can unlock our car doors and front doors. Our computers hold all the information we hold dearest and can also be our main connection to the outside world.

Think now about a hacker breaking into your social media accounts. It would cause strife, panic, and anxiety as you attempt to control the damage and mitigate the aftershock. Same with your personal computer, if a hacker held control of yourweb applications or your main desktop or laptop then it could mean having your identity stolen or your bank accounts wiped.

When it comes to smartphones, that is a wholly unique set of problems that causes innumerable issues not even worth considering.

The point is simple enough, you must realize, sooner rather than later, that hackers are very much interested in your life, even if you are not. They will stop at nothing to infiltrate a system once it has been spotted and the access points have been identified.

Luckily, there are strategies and tools that can be implemented in order to completely erase the problem of small-time hacking. However, it is important to note that really motivated hackers are essentially unstoppable and that the system must be shut down and replaced, from network to hardware, to be completely rid of the problem.

Self-defense Strategies in Cyberspace

Thecyber self-defense strategies with the most efficacy are ones you have heard before, but, most likely did not take seriously due to the repetition of the tips and how ineffectual they seem. However, using these tired old tips in the best way can guarantee that you have a secure system from the ground up. Once implemented carefully, you can rest easy knowing that your hardware is under the best possible defense that you can muster.

The first and most important tip for any computerized system is to have strong passwords. We hear this repeatedly and for good reason. A good password has a mixture of numbers and letters with mixed cases or unique spelling that is at least eight characters long.

A great password has 15 characters, mixed cases, special symbols and absolutely no recognizable phrases. You should also consider having unique passwords for important file locations and frequently visited sites.

Utilizing encryption can be the most important thing you can do personally and for your business. A good encryption policy is to encrypt things that store sensitive data or the entire drive disk at once to lockdown the entirety of the computer system. Same for networks, it is imperative that they are encrypted and that they do not have a discoverable identity unless it is a retail or food space.

Usingmulti-factor authentication in conjunction with encryption can create a nearly impenetrable situation and while a motivated hacker can do extensive damage, enabling these tips can heavily mitigate the fallout.

Conclusion

Ideally, all of these strategies and tools should be used in tandem in order to be as safe as possible. The average hack costs businesses over four million dollars per infiltration. Combine this with the fact that there are over one billion new attacks a year and you have the recipe for a completely unmitigated disaster.

Once the necessary steps have been taken then you are essentially combating the epidemic of hacking head on. Keeping your passwords strong, encrypting file systems, encrypting networks and using multi-factor authentication can completely revolutionize your cybersecurity situation. Instead of peeking around every digital corner, you can browse with a sense of pride and security knowing that you have locked down your systems and have done everything in your power to fight the fires that hackers create.

While it seems like an overwhelming issue, find safety in knowing that there are strategies to compete with the endless onslaught of hackers and their complex tools of deconstruction. When the efforts of cybersecurity are placed appropriately you can make yourself a bulwark of digital security. This pandemic of hacking will one day come to an end, but, in the time between, do everything in your power to master the art of cyber security so that you can be safe in cyberspace.