What is cybersecurity and does it concern everyone?

Discover tips for how to stop hackers in their tracks

Regardless of whether you work in the office of a major corporation or you sell your own T-shirts online, cybersecurity affects everyone who is using a device connected to the Internet. Now that we’ve established that it’s important, let’s answer a fundamental question: What is cybersecurity? This is the process of guarding networks, systems, and individual devices (laptops, desktop computers, phones, tablets, etc.) from online attacks made by cybercriminals.

There are many types of cybersecurity threats and the motives of these hackers vary, but the aims are usually to access, change, destroy, or steal private and sensitive information. The goal is often to extort money from companies or typical Internet users, but sometimes these acts are simply carried out to disrupt businesses or people’s lives for revenge or personal enjoyment.

Learning how to prevent cyberattacks can be difficult because cybercriminals are often ahead of the curve and change their methods, as well as the fact that there more devices and people connected to the Internet than ever before. Still, to protect against data breaches and avoid being hacked, experts always say that it’s down to the individuals themselves to practice good online habits and to be aware of online threats in all forms. TeamViewer, for example, has strong security standards to protect your data, but common sense and smart actions from users are still required.

What are the types of cybersecurity threats?

Put simply, cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, but good cyber security methods still require people, procedures, and the right technology to be combined. These all have to work together effectively in order to protect against data breaches and the following types of cyberattacks.

Phishing

Perhaps one of the most common cyberattacks, phishing involves sending fake emails that resemble a reputable and trustworthy person, business, or organisation. Fake emails can be sent from what appear to be family members, banks, and even your own employer, as hackers will often create new email addresses or websites that closely resemble the real ones.

The goal is to take sensitive data like bank login information or credit card numbers. If you want to know how to prevent cyberattacks, experts advise never to click on suspicious links, even if it was sent by a known email address, as the links can contain malware that infects your system or device sometimes without you even knowing it.

Ransomware

One of the newer forms of cyberattacks, ransomware is malicious software that will block access to files or a computer system until a ransom has been paid. This can happen to anyone, not just big businesses, although they are more likely to be targeted.

Social engineering

Fairly similar to phishing, except that social engineering can trick you into revealing details over the phone or even via online dating services. The hacker will usually gain your trust and confidence in order to obtain access to confidential data.

Simple methods for how to prevent cyberattacks for everyone

From a small business to a freelancer working at their computer, it’s important to keep in mind that anyone can be targeted and several good habits are helpful when learning how to stop hackers.

• Ensure software is always up to date, including apps and browsers, as companies will often update their services when new types of cyber security threats emerge.
• Run virus and malware scans on any device that connects to the Internet.
• If you think a phone call, text message, or email looks unusual and is asking you to click on a link or give personal information (such as your bank password or credit card number), then hang up or delete as necessary.
• Don’t use the same passwords for multiple sites and software. Also make sure to change them every three months or so and make them complicated (a mix of upper and lower case, as well as special characters and numbers is recommended).
• When using remote access software like TeamViewer, shut it down when not in use on your device(s).
• Don’t leave your device unattended, especially at an airport or coffee shop, for example.
• Avoid using a public Wi-Fi that doesn’t require a password.
• Backup your data onto an external hard drive or in the Cloud.
• For businesses to protect against data breaches, constantly train and test employees on better workplace security. Also, install next-gen firewalls, DNS filtering, and top-of-the-line malware and antivirus protection as well as email security solutions.