The internet has come to be the core technology that unites the world and sets its wheels into motion. Whether you are a professional gamer, an online business runner, an educator, a healthcare specialist, a virtual assistant, a pastry chef, a sports analyst, a climatologist, a history buff, or a Hollywood reporter, you have to rely on the powerful facility of the World Wide Web to complete your everyday tasks with the utmost efficiency and meet your goals head-on.
While the internet unarguably opens new gateways of convenience, communication, information, entertainment, and the like, it also leaves your systems, data, and network exposed to threats that roam the dark corners of the web. These threats, after a successful penetration of your connected devices, turn your life upside down and harm your reputation among your peers. That is why ensuring a high level of internet security is necessary in today’s world, where everyone has a presence or a profile of some sort on the vast and open cloud. This post will argue in favor of internet security and give you a few convincing reasons why you need to invest wholeheartedly in your online safety.
To Avert Malware & Other Infections
A computer behaves like a human body. It has tens of thousands of units working in perfect harmony for the overall betterment of the system. Just like a human body, a computing device or a network can catch infections, and commonly, from the World Wide Web. The internet is an ideal place for attackers to unleash different kinds of malicious codes, which sniff out vulnerable gateways and slip through unsecured openings, wreaking absolute havoc. One of the most prevalent infections, which may affect your connected devices, is malware.
Malware is malicious software, which attempts to gain unauthorized access to any programmable device or network to cause damage to the system or server. It is an umbrella term, which encapsulates other forms of infections, such as computer viruses (self-replicating pieces of code that infiltrate files and corrupt data), spyware (an eavesdropping software that reports a user’s activities by transmitting data covertly from the hard drive), or Trojan Horse (a harmless-looking program that breaches the security of a computer and lets other infections in like cryptojacking), etc. Any of those pop-ups which you spontaneously open, applications that you freely download from third-party sites, or links you click on because a game/ad told you to might carry malware.
How can you avoid it? By investing in a solid cybersecurity suite, especially the one which includes anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-ransomware and anti-spyware protection. Click here to get one from your trusted internet provider. Another way to defend your devices and network against malware is to update their firmware and install the latest security anti-bot patches sent by the manufacturer. A wise step, in any case, is to use your discretion, read between the lines, and think critically whenever you are browsing online. Never click on suspicious URLs, or download a file from a source, which is anything less than credible.
To Prevent Phishing Attacks
Phishing is often the smokescreen for malware. It is a deception of the vilest sort, which targets individuals and even organizations of high repute. In this fraudulent practice, an attacker sends a cleverly-crafted email, a pop-up, or an SMS to the victim, pretending to be from a company that is known and trusted, and induces the victim to reveal PII or Personally Identifiable Information, such as passwords, social security or credit card numbers for a promised reward. According to a study, phishing is carried out 96% via email, 3% via conning websites, and only 1% via phone. Most of the phishing emails have either a malicious link or an attachment added, which the attacker encourages you to click on or download, sending malware directly into your connected system. The subject line usually includes the words, “Attention”, “Important”, “Urgent”, or “Payment Request”, catching your attention and if you are not careful, leading you to suffer from massive data breaches or worse, identity theft.
Phishing is not a new attack. It has been around for a long time. Still, big platforms like Facebook or political organizations have faced the wrath of phishing even in this advanced age. How can you protect yourself, then? The key is to be smart about it. You could follow a phishing hook right off the cliff or you could choose to critically analyze the nature, frequency, urgency, context, or similarity of the incoming mail requests and report them to your cybersecurity handler. If you take the latter path, not only will you prevent yourself from being scammed, but also safeguard your systems from possibilities of malware contamination.
To Keep Hackers Out
The term ‘hacking’ implies cutting roughly through a dense object. That is precisely what a computer hacker does, i.e. breaks through your security shields and enters your system with the intent of mischief. Hackers are expert programmers, and though they are more likely to target high-profile business organizations for extracting money or other benefits, they can just as well hack into your system for stealing your data or corrupting your network. One popular example of this would be rogue access points.
If you happen to travel outdoors and come across a free, open public Wi-Fi network with the name of “Starbucks 2”, let’s say, which duplicates the legitimate one, consider it a rogue access point. By connecting to it, you will invite the hacker into your device, and give him/her the perfect opportunity to spy on your online transactions, banking, or shopping activities, or even manipulate them. The best way to keep the hackers out of your connected devices is to set up strong security passwords, 2-factor authentication, and get a VPN to encrypt your data and communication on the web. Steer clear of public Wi-Fi if you can and stick to a reliable private/mobile network.
So, Why Do You Need Internet Security?
As this post clarifies, you need internet security to safeguard your digital presence from malware, phishing, hacking and other forms of cyberattacks. Since you depend on the internet to conduct your daily tasks, make sure to install the best defenses to stay secure, sure, and protected online.
