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The Wonder of Tech welcomes Darryl Lewis as a guest author.
If you watch the news, you won’t have been able to miss all of the talk about cyber crime and identity theft. As more and more of our lives become digitized and go online, this will only become more of a concern. And since most of us are not computer experts, it makes us even more paranoid.
The widespread hysteria is within good reason though, as demonstrated by the alarming cyber crime statistics in the infographic below:
However, the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to decrease your risk of attack without going back to school for a degree in computer sciences.
Here are some simple ways for you to protect yourself online.
Use a VPN to Hide Your IP Address
Your IP address acts as an identifier for your specific computer and the server on which you access the Internet. This is how you connect to the web and how the system designates where information is coming from.
Generally speaking, your device’s IP address will not be visible to the public, though the router will be. This information can display a certain amount of geographical data and, with some digging, can be cross-referenced with online activity to reveal a rather disturbing amount of your information.
One of the smartest, easiest ways to hide your IP address is to invest in a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This is a service that you use to connect to the Internet that will encrypt your data, utilize firewalls, and offer a substitute IP address so that yours will never be on display.
The best part about VPNs is that they are simple to use, and cost a reasonable amount considering the trouble and inconvenience they save you.
Use Password Protection Techniques and Tools
Your password for accounts that contain sensitive information can never be secure enough. There are numerous ways to protect this information, but we’re going to outline some of the most important:
Try not to use the same passwords over and over again – This limits the amount of damage someone can do if they get ahold of one of your passwords.
- Change your passwords regularly – This will lock out anyone trying to use your accounts.
- Use strong passwords – Don’t use something that is common knowledge (people could find out your child’s birthday on Facebook) and avoid obvious passwords like “123456.” Try for combinations of numbers, upper- and lower-case letters, and words that no one would guess, but which are memorable to you personally.
- Utilize password management software – This is a program that will help you to organize, change, and create passwords without having to do a lot of work or remember everything. All of the information stored in this software will be encrypted, so it should be hard to crack for identity thieves; however, with all of your passwords in one place, you’ll need to choose an especially strong password for logging into this program and then remember it!
- Opt for 2-step verification whenever possible – The 2-step verification system means that stealing your password by itself won’t be enough. Once you enter your password, the system will send a notification to your e-mail or phone with an additional code in it. You will have to enter this to access your account. While it’s not impossible for a thief to get this information, hacking becomes much less likely.
=> Learn more at How to Use 2-Step Verification for an Extra Layer of Password Protection
Only Access Secure Sites & Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Transactions
Where you browse and enter your information on the net can be just as important as the actual protections you put in place. You’ll want to ensure that the sites that you do any sort of business or transactions with are both legitimate and secure.
In order to do this, start by checking to see if a site uses an SSL certificate (this is a verification system that secures your data as it passes from your device to the site’s servers).
A simple way to do this is by checking the URL. If the site begins with “https://” and has a green lock icon next to it, then the site uses an SSL certificate.
It’s also smart to remember where you are when accessing sensitive information. For instance, public Wi-Fi at a café is a lot less secure than your network at home, making it much easier for hackers to intercept your data.
By holding off on any logins or online purchases until you are home, you will significantly decrease your data’s risk of being compromised.
= > Don’t miss How Free Public Wi-Fi May Cost You Dearly
Don’t Assume that E-mails are Legitimate
In addition, you should check any site that requires a login, payment, or any exchange of information to make sure that it’s real.
For instance, a common scam is to create a website that closely mimics a legitimate one and then send you an e-mail telling you to log on to solve a problem with your account. When you click the link they give you and enter your info, the scammers get your username, password, and access to your real account.
Avoiding this is easy enough if you take the time to check any e-mails you get for legitimacy.
A good rule of thumb is not to click any links in an e-mail and go to the site independently by typing the address into your browser, and/or call the phone number on the company website. You can then see if the e-mail was legitimate.
If it wasn’t, don’t be afraid to report the scammers.
Your Thoughts
These are just some of the easiest ways that you can protect yourself online. Can you think of any others that you use?
What do you do to protect yourself from cyber crime? Have you ever received a scam email with a suspicious link? Do you look for SSL certificates when you shop?
Share your thoughts about cyber crime in the comments section below!
About Darryl Lewis
Darryl Lewis is a tech enthusiast who enjoys researching the latest trends in the industry such as tech security, digital marketing, and software development. He is also a fine and performing arts advocate. He is a graduate of Stockton University.
Follow Darryl on Twitter @dlew4life
* Cybercrime image (edited) courtesy of Pete Linforth via Pixabay
* Infographic courtesy of Switch VPN Blog
* Email security image (edited) courtesy of geralt via Pixabay
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— CarolynNicanderMohr (@wonderoftech) November 19, 2015
Number of people becomes victims of cyber crime and most of them dont have any idea of facing them and overcoming from them, but with a simple glance at this article one can easily learn how to avoid becoming a cyber victim.
Thank you Jijing for your comment! Yes, cyber crime is such a huge issue among adult online users as displayed in the infographic. These stats were astonishing to me especially the devastating economic impacts it has in various countries. It’s also important to note the emotional and mental affects it has on those who have fallen victim to cyber crime as well; going through the process of trying to recover from it. The first warning sign often occurs with your computer. For example, drastically reduced internet connection speed for no apparent reason may indicate a virus. Also, if the cursor starts moving on its own or windows start opening by themselves then chances are it’s been hacked.
Hi Darryl and welcome to Carolyn’s blog 🙂
You wrote about a very important topic of cyber crime. Don’t we see it all over, and what saddens me most is how the youngsters are caught up in it because they are not educated enough.
Loved all your tips, and you are right about the password protection, it’s the most effective way that really works.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week, both of you 🙂
Thank you Harleena! Yes, I agree young people especially those who are in college often become victims of cyber crime due to lack of knowledge of ways to protect themselves. Using these password protection methods may seem like a hassle to some, however these actions are worth taking in the long-term. Take care, and you have a nice week as well!
Hi, its a really useful post on How to Avoid Becoming a Victim. Thank you for sharing such a good article and keep good work on n keep sharing such great information.
Thank you for the nice comment Jay! I’m glad that I can spread knowledge to help others!
Most of the important frequently used websites have two factor authentication so there is absolutely no excuse not to set it up. You even have the option of setting trusted machines etc so you’ll get a notification only if you’ve accessed it via an unconfirmed machine. If you’re not using it better start now.
Thank you Nishadha for sharing your insight! The two-step verification system is becoming a vital part of website security. I believe it’s necessary to have for maximizing protection against cyber crime especially when browsing online in public spaces.