Millions of people all over the work are now working from home amid the outbreak of COVID-19. With this, hackers are also looking to take advantage. Indeed, a global pandemic like the COVID-19 seems to be a great chance for cyber thieves all over the world.
But we can always do certain things to avoid such cyber attacks even during this pandemic we are facing globally.
Apparently, in this time of crisis, a cyber-attack could paralyze the functioning of most organizations. So, what is cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is one of the resonating themes in the situation we are facing these days, particularly that most are working at home.
Aside from technical problems, systems’ vulnerability could also increase because of possible human error. So, at this rate, we should be clever enough to stop and avoid cyber-attacks during a global pandemic – COVID-19. Hence, cyber security apprenticeships are much more needed in the situation we are facing these days.
First, How Do Cyber-Attacks Happen?
Of course, understanding cyber-attacks and cyber threats are only part of the information that you need to protect yourself. There is a need for you to know whether how a cyber-attack happens.
In most cases, these kinds of attacks are a combination of semantic tactics utilized syntactically. Simply said, it is an attempt to change the computer user’s behavior by some shady computer tactics.
What Does It Look Like?
Well, it might be a message which appears to come from a credit card company or a bank. It might seem urgent, and it also includes a link.
Yet, you could find clues that it might not be real if only you look at the email closely.
You can hover the pointer over the link. However, make sure you don’t click it. Look at the web address, which shows either in the bottom left corner of the screen or above the link.
Are you sure that the link looks real? Or ever notice gibberish or names which aren’t related to your bank?
The email might also have some typos or might look like being written by someone who speaks English as a second language.
Another thing to bear in mind is that cyber-attacks happen when you download a certain file which has a malicious piece of code, like a Trojan horse or worm. It is possible when downloading email files, videos, music, and apps online.
Visiting infected sites could also be a possible way to lead to cyber threats.
Being knowledgeable about what cyber-attacks or even cyber-threats look like and how they happen is your first line of defense to avoid them.
National cyber security centre could offer support and advice for both the private and public sectors in how to avoid such security threats.
Reasons Not to Neglect Robust Cybersecurity Measures
As this COVID-19 pandemic continues to mess up the global health, political, social, and economic systems, there is another unseen threat that is rising in the digital space.
That is the risk of cyber-attacks that prey on our increased dependence on various digital tools and also the uncertainty of today’s crisis.
So, here are some of the reasons why there is a need to consider preventive measures in terms of best internet security more than ever:
The cost of failure increases due to heightened dependency on digital infrastructure.
In this kind of pandemic, wherein cases are reported to over 150 countries all over the world, the dependency on digital communication grows. The internet has instantly become the main channel for human interaction and the primary way to contact, work, and to support one another.
Work from home policies is offered, and social interactions are mainly done through video calls, posts, and chats. Most countries disseminate information through digital means.
And with this context, cyber-attack could be devastating and deadly. Or worse, broad-based cyber-attacks might lead to widespread failures taking the cities or communities offline, blocking health care providers, networks, and public systems.
Cyber-attacks exploit uncertainty and fear.
Cybercriminals exploit a human weakness to breach systemic defenses. In this crisis, especially once prolonged, people might make mistakes they wouldn’t have made otherwise. You might make a mistake like a link to click or a data entry online.
These experts are indeed creative in making new ways to exploit users and the technology as well to access passwords, data, and networks. They often capitalize on famous trends and topics to tempt users to unsafe behavior online.
A lot of riskier behavior due to more time spent online.
Indeed, it would be a lot riskier these days because most people are spending more time online. Most people have more time on using the internet like watching videos, downloading apps and other files, even playing online Lightning link and more.
Like for instance, users might be tempted for free access to some obscure sites or even pirated shows, which open the door to attacks or malware.
So, with all the risks that might happen, do you know what to do to protect yourself or to avoid such attacks online? Well, if not, here are the things that you can consider:
Make sure to keep your secrets always a secret.
Do not ever share your personal information online, except you are sure that you are dealing with a safe site. To tell whether the site is safe or not, look for an “s” in its URL or web address. A safe one would start with https:// while the unsafe site begins with https://.
Do not just click.
It is best to avoid clicking links in emails, even if you know who the email came from. Do not simply download files too. The only exception is that once you are expecting someone to send you a file or a link.
It is okay if you have spoken with them, and you know where the link would lead, or you know the content of the file.
If you receive an email from a credit card company or bank, which makes you wonder, you should close the email and type the address of the bank or credit card company into your browser directly. Or better, call the company then ask them regarding the message.
Always keep your system updated.
These hackers live for systems or computers that are out of date and that have not had any internet security patches or updates installed in a long time.
Hackers studied ways to gain access to the computer. Once you don’t install updates or google security patches, you are simply opening the door for them and easily inviting them.
Do allow automatic updates or immediately install patches and updates as soon as possible. One of the best and most effective weapons against cyber-attacks is to keep your system up to date.
Finally, always have a backup.
If everything else fails, it is best to have a backup of all your files. Create a backup anytime that you make a certain change in your computer, like changing settings or adding a new program.
The backup must be kept separate from the computer. You may have it on cloud or a removable hard drive, so if the data end up encrypted, you could simply restore from the backup, and everything will be okay. Having a rewire security tracker might also be considered.
This COVID-19 has impacted almost various sectors in our society all over the world, changing how people interact and work every day. This crisis is a risk of heightened cyber-attack. So, it is best to know how you can avoid such an attack along with protecting yourself and your loved ones from the said incurable disease.
Author’s Bio:
Thomas Glare is a passionate writer who mainly deals with cybersecurity issues to help readers gain significant information on how to deal with cyber-attacks. With a desire to help through writing, he is providing quality and insightful articles to his readers. Hence, Thomas will continue gathering important details to share with his readers!
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