Dec 24, 2024

How to Stay Safe Online? Protection from Cybercrime

Increasingly, there is an increase in technology usage for almost anything and everything. It is really important to stay safe, while browsing the internet as something bad can impact your entire life. Therefore, here are some ways to decrease the chances of becoming a victim online.

What is cybercrime and cybersecurity?

Cybercrime is when criminal activities are carried out by means of computers or the internet (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries). This can include credit card theft, cyberbullying, hacking, buying or selling illicit items. Sometimes, people can also send a fake email or message with a link, which can destroy your credit. Currently, there are no official legal laws about the punishments of committing cybercrime as it is a type of recent crime surge. Therefore, it is easier for people to protect themselves from cybercrime.

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting networks, systems, and programs from online attacks (Cisco). Basically, cybersecurity provides protection against cybercrime. There are many methods of cybersecurity other than hiring expensive companies to do it for you. These are a few methods that you can do on your own at home with little to no money required.

Method 1 - Use Strong Passwords

Reusing passwords or using easy ones with all lowercase letters might result in people being able to guess your passwords. To avoid hacking, you want to create a strong password with a mix of uppercase, and lowercase letters along with a range of symbols. This creates a password that is difficult to guess, which makes it harder for hackers to release private information that can have lots of negative impacts. Also, you want to try to create new passwords for every account. Try not to reuse the same passwords over and over again; this creates an easier method for the hackers to hack everything. This can make it difficult for you to remember all the different passwords, however, there are many different types of safe password managers that can help save and protect all these passwords. Some examples of these password managers: Dashlane, LastPass, Google Password Manager. By using these managers, you can protect your passwords in a way that you do not need to remember a list of all the strong passwords you have created.

Method 2 - Enable Two-Factor Authorization

Two-factor authorization is a security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data (Microsoft). It verifies that the person trying to log in is you by sending you an email or phone message.

Advantages:

Enhanced security
Easy & cost-efficient to implement
Protects sensitive information
Reduces risk of identity theft
Provides real-time alerts
Accessible for all users
Protects against most, if not all kinds of cybercrime

Method 3 - Be Informed with Recent Types of Cybercrime

Being informed about different types of cybercrime helps you recognize threats and take proactive measures to stay safe online. For example, understanding phishing scams teaches you to identify suspicious emails or links, while awareness of this scam technique shows the importance of being able to spot it and avoid untrusted downloads. Understanding the risks of identity theft and social engineering could foster good password hygiene, two-factor authorization, and avoiding the sharing of personal information. Moreover, awareness of online fraud, cyberbullying, and other online vulnerabilities enables you to take measures to secure your devices, shop on trusted platforms, and report abusive behavior. Awareness helps you to be safe and respond appropriately to cyber dangers.

Final Notes

In conclusion, to stay safe online, you should use stronger passwords, enable two-factor authorization, and be informed about recent kinds of cybercrime. Cybercrime can cause you to lose many opportunities in the future or if you want to run a business, you need to be sure that your employees and customers trust their information in your hands. Cybersecurity must be a top priority in today’s world as technology is increasing. Technology can be good, but it can also be bad, and we must find a way to make sure we can fight the bad parts of technology.

Written By: Krisha L