In this modern age, the internet has become more and more prominent in our day to day lives. It can be easy to believe in the idea that nothing will happen to you, considering you use it on a daily basis without any issue.
However, many dangers are lurking about, from cybercriminal to computer viruses. So many in fact that it can be overwhelming to keep track of it all, and how to keep safe in the thick of it. Here’s your guide to building a cybersecurity strategy so you can surf the web safely.
General Safety
First off, let’s start with some general cyber safety tips to keep you safe from cyber attacks:
Consider whether or not you want to post something
They say that whatever you put on the internet remains on there forever, which is painfully accurate. While it may fade into obscurity, it can still be found if someone wants to find it. This is particularly relevant when you want to find a job which is why it’s important to maintain information security.
Install antivirus software
Antivirus software, like Norton and McAfee, can be used as risk management and help with your network security. It will prevent any data breaches that come with malware, viruses or trojan horses.
Know how to browse safely
When you’re browsing, think twice before you click on a website. Cybercriminals know all the tricks in the book to get you to click and download malicious software, so even if it looks just a bit suspicious, it’s best to avoid at all costs and prevent any unauthorized access.
Don’t post photos/messages that may indicate where you live
On social media, think twice before you post personal information online. Remember that potential employers will search up your name before they hire you. If they see something that’s inappropriate, then you’ll hurt your chances of them hiring you.
Parental Control
It can be frightening to let your child online, knowing all the dangers out there. Unfortunately, you can’t stop your child from going on the internet. They will have to go on eventually, either for school or just for leisure. There are some cyber security measures you can take to keep your child safe.
Before you start laying down rules, you should tell your child why you’re doing this. Say that there are people out there online who will try to take advantage of them, and that you want to monitor them to keep them safe from the dangers out there.
Once your child understands why you have to monitor them, then some rules are in order, such as:
There’s plenty of software out there that can filter out dangerous websites too, which provides you tools like remote monitoring and time management that can help you monitor your child.
However, if you’re worried that your child might be in danger, here are some signs to look out for:
Your child hides what they’re doing on the internet
Your child spending an abnormally long time on the computer, especially during nighttime.
Your child receiving gifts from someone you don’t know.
Privacy
The amount of sensitive information we share online is staggering. If you ever done online shopping or created a social media account, your personal details would have been spread to several different bodies.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty much impossible to be completely private if you use the internet, but that doesn’t mean you can throw caution to the wind. There are still some measures you can take to avoid truly adverse outcomes.
Here are some general tips that will help you out:
Don’t open any emails that look suspicious:
E-mails, or messages in general, are a perfect vessel for malware and phishing scams. If you notice an email that seems dubious, then throw it out. If you do happen to click on an email that has a link or an attachment, ensure that you do not click on them.
Take a look at your privacy settings:
Generally speaking, many websites such as Facebook and Google will default to ‘public’ settings. By switching to ‘private’ settings, you’ll limit the number of people who can see your personal information.
Put a password on your wi-fi network:
Make sure you that a strong password protects your network. Also, if you’re anxious about your privacy, then ensure that you don’t use an unsecure connection at a public place.
Try using different and strong passwords:
I know it’s annoying, but to really protect your sensitive data and prevent identity theft, you’ll have to use different passwords for each login. To create a strong password, make sure you use capital letters, numbers and other symbols.
Block cookies:
Cookies are messages given to a browser or server, which identifies your username and when you last visited the website. If you want to stop websites from tracking your activities, there are browser plug-ins, such as AdBlock Plus, can block cookies and keep you anonymous.
Install a VPN:
Security professionals recommend a VPN to have direct control over your anonymity. VPNs, or virtual private networks, allows you to browse the internet on another server, hiding your true location. This also protects you from any snooping when you connect to a wi-fi hotspot.
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying is using the internet to harm another person repeatedly and deliberately. There are many different forms of cyberbullying, such as:
Flaming
An online fight characterised by hostile words usually using e-mails, comments on social media or instant messages.
Exclusion
Where someone or a group decides to kick out one person repeatedly from an online group. They may also harass the singled out person afterwards by directing hostile comments towards them about their character.
Outing
When someone shares information about the person that the latter wants to keep private across the internet.
Harassment
A general term that encompasses an individual or group ganging up on another to spread rumours, send threatening messages, etc.
Impersonation
When the bully pretends to be another, whether it be someone else or the victim, to harm the victim, whether it be posting inappropriate things as the victim, or harassing them under a different name.
Some people think that cyber bullying is a ‘lesser’ form of bullying, believing that the victim can easily avoid the messages by turning off their phone or computer. It’s not that simple, however.
As was mentioned before, using the internet is unavoidable in this day and age. Also, cyber bullying is often an extension of bullying that takes place at school, workplace, etc. It can result in horrific, permanent consequences, with many victims committing suicide.
There are many ways you can help or prevent this if you or someone you know has become a victim of cyber bullying, such as:
If you see someone getting bullied
Don’t let yourself become a bystander. Stand up against the bully, or at least, don’t encourage them to keep on going, and definitely, don’t become a cyberbully yourself.
However, if you can’t get them to stop, you can always help out the victim. Even just by being there for them, you can help out immensely.
If the bullying gets more serious
Criminal Law
Sometimes, cyber bullying can breach criminal or civil law. If you are:
Then you have grounds to go to the police. In Australia, serious bullying can be punishable by up to ten years in jail.
Online Scams
There are many scams out there, circulating online that you should be aware of that can pose a variety of security risks and persistent threats. Here’s a list of them:
Types of Malware
The most common types of malware that can infect your computer are:
Spyware
The type of malware where, as the name implies, spies on people as they use their computer, tracking their activity in order to save their sensitive data, such as bank details and passwords.
Adware
Can increase the number of opportunities for other malware to creep into the victim’s computer, along with bombarding them with several ads.
Trojan
As the name suggests, this is a type of malware that is either included or pretends to be legitimate software, the “trojan horse” can open the floodgates for other malware to enter your computer.
Ransomware
This type of malware takes your files and encrypts them. They will then demand money from their victim for the decryption key.
Types of Computer Viruses
While the term ‘viruses’ can be used to encompass all types of malware, computer viruses specifically refer to malware that can copy themselves across files or even another computer, hence the name.
Here are some of them you should be aware of:
Macro Virus
A virus that’s written in macro language, which embeds themselves into software that allows mini-programs.
For example, certain viruses can infect Microsoft Outlook, and mail numerous contacts simultaneously, slowing down or disabling the servers.
Multipartite Virus
A virus that infects both a computer’s files and boot space. Even if you do delete all infected files, it will still reside in the boot sector.
Boot Sector Virus
A virus that infects the hard drive which loads up onto the computer’s memory. While in modern times, this virus is quite rare, though they still exist, mostly found in e-mail attachments.
One of its capabilities is overwriting sectors of a hard drive, which makes it impossible to retrieve files.
Direct Action Virus
A virus that infects particular types of files such as COM or EXE files, and once the virus passes through, it will delete the file.
Resident Virus
A virus that infects a computer’s primary memory or RAM, which can delete programs off of your computer or increase the size of these programs so they can’t run properly.
How to Protect Yourself from Viruses/Malware
In order to protect your computer, you should know how they spread.
This is one of the most common ways that cyber criminals spread their malware. They usually attach files that’s named something inconspicuous, though at times, by simply opening an email.
Instant Messages
The message usually has an embedded link. The scary thing is that these links can come from contacts, so you should always be suspicious of weird links, even if they come from your friends or family.
Software Download
Any download, particularly free downloads or supposed ‘antivirus’ software, can lead to an infection. Even software that’s legitimate but hasn’t been updated with the proper security patches can harbour malware.
That’s how you prevent yourself from getting infected. But even if you try your best, you still might find yourself with a piece of malware on your hands. If that’s the case, then you can always install reputable antivirus software.
One from a cyber security company is usually the best option, but if you don’t want to spend a whole lot of money, there are a few free antivirus software. Be careful though! Make sure you do your research and download an antivirus software that not’s malware in disguise.
However, other security practices you should consider is continuously back up your files and updating your antivirus program regularly.
Plagiarism
If you’ve gone through high school and university, you’ll probably hear how seriously the academic world deals with plagiarism. But what is it, exactly? And why is it so bad?
A quick definition of plagiarism is when a person decides to use or closely imitate the language of another without the latter’s authorisation. Essentially, it’s when people pass off another author’s work as their own. This includes:
There can be serious consequences if you do plagiarise. Pretty much all schools and all universities have very strict rules about plagiarising, which can automatically lead to suspension or even expulsion.
There’s also the possibility that if the case is serious enough, . After all the
You can be fined up to thousands of dollars, depending on how severe the act of copyright infringement is. So, in order to avoid all of that, you should probably stick to your own words.
How to Cite Properly
To avoid any accidental plagiarism, take a look at which citation style you need to use and follow it exactly. Make sure that you revise over your citations to see if it you’ve followed it correctly.
Here are the common citation guides you’ll probably use throughout high school, university and/or academic career:
APA (American Psychological Association):
Last name, First name initial. Title. City: Publisher.
Chicago Style:
Last name, First name. Title. City: Publisher, Year.
Harvard:
Last name, First name initial, Title, Publisher, Place of publication.
MLA (Modern Language Association):
Last name, First name. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print.
No matter which citation style you use, you’ll either have to use parenthetical citations within your work or footnoting.
Parenthetical citations are placed in the middle of your text and are used at the end of a sentence. It usually includes the name of the author and the page number/year. For example:
“This is a sentence” (Smith, 54).
Footnoting works similarly. A number is used at the end of a sentence, and the citation is placed at the bottom of the page. For example:
“This is a sentence.”
Smith, 54.
Cybersecurity as a Career
Cyber Security is a continually fast growing industry that’s becoming increasingly demanding as our society becomes fully digital. Professionals who can fight cybercrime, create computer systems that fight malicious software and are experts in data protection, are extremely in demand.
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