The more networked the digital world becomes, the more important the issue of security becomes. The keyword here is cyber security. Because new dangers are increasingly lurking on the Internet for companies and private individuals alike, some of which can cause considerable damage. The topic of cyber security is therefore more topical than ever before, but it covers not only Internet security, but also all other aspects and areas of information and communications technology.
A variety of means are available to ensure a user’s cybersecurity. These range from education about the dangers on the Net to training in information technology security to the use of tools and programs that enable users to protect themselves from attacks from cyberspace. Given that cyberattacks do not always occur via the Internet, cybersecurity encompasses yet another aspect: fending off threats that take advantage of modern electronic, telecommunications and IT capabilities.
The dangers of the digital world
The term cybercrime is broad. Often, cybercrime – like cybersecurity in the reverse case – refers to crime on the Internet. Therefore, while in common parlance users are concerned with security measures on the Internet, they often disregard the fact that any form of crime that makes use of electronic, telecommunications and IT means can be classified as cybercrime. Therefore, computer crime is by far the more appropriate term to describe the entire subject.
Cybercrime includes, among other things, the illegal tapping of private, personal or even critical information. This information can be stolen from a corporate network via the Internet just as it can be stolen from a person’s credit card by means of technical devices, while the person unsuspectingly passes the perpetrator in the crowd.
What is cybersecurity and how do I take care of it?
The vastness of the topic and the threat level – especially due to the daily increase in digital possibilities – already show: cybersecurity is important. You only have to consider how much data you process every day on your computer, tablet or smartphone, how many accounts you use for a wide variety of applications and on various platforms on the Internet, and how much credit and bank data and similarly sensitive data is requested in everyday life. All this data is vulnerable and, without protection, exposed to cybercriminals who misuse it for their own purposes. Most consumers will have experienced credit card fraud at least once in their lives. But offenses with even more far-reaching consequences are also wide open without the necessary precautions.
In order to prevent cybercriminals from harming oneself, loved ones, or even one’s own company, and possibly resulting in legal consequences for the victim as well, it is important to familiarize oneself in detail with the topic and learn about the necessary security and cybersecurity tools.
Recommendations for more cyber security: Put a stop to data theft
Simple gadgets such as lead-reinforced credit card holders prevent data theft offline. A small but effective blockade makes it difficult or even impossible for criminals to tap into sensitive bank or credit card information.
Such a blockade must be set up in a figurative sense for IT systems. One of the most important recommendations for cyber security is still something that many users have long been fed up with: strong passwords. They may be long, unwieldy and complicated to remember, but in terms of basic protection, they are highly effective. Whether it’s a person trying to gain unlawful access to a computer and failing to enter the correct password. Or be it a hacker trying to crack an online account.
For comprehensive basic protection, however, other cybersecurity tools are needed that should be standard for every user. A firewall, for example, is essential. This can exist on the computer and / or router, but should be used in any case. A firewall prevents unauthorized access to one’s computer or network. The settings are used to configure who or what can access the Internet from the network and vice versa who or what can access the network from the Internet.
A firewall is particularly effective in combination with an antivirus program, which not only detects viruses, Trojans and other malware, but also removes them immediately. Regular security scans on the PC or network are essential and should become routine for optimal cybersecurity.