When the World Wide Web first came to life in the late 1990s it opened up new possibilities as well as a whole new threat. Spam was a major cause of email disruption, computer viruses caused destruction to corporate networks, and hacking was a major problem. Hackers can steal your personal information, take over your online bank or credit account, and then sell your personal information on the dark web for a lot of money.
Today, your online life is more complex than ever. You’re using a smartphone, shop online, bank online, make use of Facebook and even your IoT devices and internet-connected appliances monitor and record your activities. Hackers can access all of this data, regardless if they’re part of a criminal group or an individual with an agenda for political gain.
Create strong passwords for all of your online accounts. Use a password manager to manage them. Consider activating two-step authentication. This adds an extra layer of security by having you enter a code that has been sent to your phone or email address in addition to entering your password when logging in. Secure your hard drive, so that hackers cannot gain access to your data even if do manage to gain control of your computer or mobile device. Don’t jailbreak or root your phone, and do not leave your computer running all day long. This will affect the performance of your device, and also open it to cyberattacks. With the appropriate software tools to screen malware deinstalling, encryption of data you can lower your risk.