In the 1990s the World Wide Web was born, bringing with it the promise of a new era of possibilities and dangers. Spam infiltrated emails and computer viruses caused destruction to corporate networks, and hacking was a significant issue. Hackers can steal your personal information and take over your online banking or credit account, and then sell your information on the dark web for a large amount of money.
Today, your online life is more complicated than ever. You’re using a smartphone; you shop online and transfer money online, you use Facebook, and even your connected home appliances and IoT devices are tracking and recording your activities. All of this data is available to hackers whether they’re part of an organized crime gang or a lone fanatic with an agenda of political inclination.
Create strong passwords to all your online accounts. Use a password manager to manage your passwords. Consider activating two-step authentication. This adds an extra layer of security by having you enter a code that is sent to your email or phone address along with your password when you sign in. Secure your hard drive to make it more difficult for hackers to access your private information, even if they do take control of your device or computer. Don’t jailbreak or root your smartphone, and don’t keep your computer running all day long. This can affect the performance of your device and make your device to cyberattacks. With the proper software tools for malware-screening deinstalling, encryption of data, you can reduce the risk of being a victim.