When the World Wide Web first came to life in the early 1990s, it opened new possibilities, but also a whole new set of threats. Spam affected email accounts, computer viruses created destruction on corporate networks, and hacking became a problem. Hackers are able to steal your personal data or even take over your online or credit card account, and sell it on the dark internet.
Today, your online existence is more complicated than ever. You’re using your smartphone, you shop online and bank online, you’re using Facebook as well as your home appliances that are connected to the internet and IoT devices are monitoring and reporting on your activities. All of this data can be accessed by hackers, whether they’re part of an organized crime organization or just a random fanatic with an agenda to influence the political scene.
Create strong passwords for all of your online accounts. Use a password manager to manage the passwords. You should consider using two-step authentication. This adds an additional layer of security, which requires you to enter a code received via email or by phone in addition to your login password. Secure your hard drive to make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your private data, even if they do get control of your mobile or computer. Also, make sure you disable “run as administrator” on your computers, do not root or jailbreak your phones and shut down your computer instead of running all day long (all-time running ruins your device performance and opens the door to cyberattacks). With the right software tools for malware screening deinstalling, data encryption, you can reduce the risk of being a victim.