The topic of online security is all over the news and has become a major concern for private citizens and business leaders; if multi-national companies and American political parties cannot keep their data totally secure, what hope is there for average people or smaller businesses?
It’s an understandable fear — everybody has an online presence in today’s social and business ecosystems, and most people are not experts in IT. In other words, the lay person knows just enough to fear online threats but not enough to guard themselves from them.
source:wired.com
Here are a few reasons the average person needs to add layers of security to their personal or company’s online presence, and what they can do to keep safe.
SMS and Email are Vulnerabilities
Providers of these services may claim otherwise, but email and SMS text messaging actually still leave you vulnerable to hacks. Cyber criminals are sophisticated enough to bypass the security measures put in place — one commonly cited statistic is that it takes 15 minutes for a proficient hacker to break into Gmail.
source:wired.com
Once they’ve accessed your email, they can obtain valuable information about you or your company that can be used to drain your account; things like banking passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive personal information.
This means that using an encrypted smartphone is the only way to guarantee the information you send online will only be accessed by the person you sent it to.
Ransomware: Digital Extortion is a Real Threat
Hacking into private communications to harvest your data is not the only way that cyber criminals can manage to drain your account by breaching your security. There are sophisticated viruses ordinary people can be tricked into installing on their own computer — among the worst of these is known as ransomware.
source:virus-removal-guide.net
Usually phishing spam is the means by which ransomware gets its foot in the door of your computer. Once inside, it encrypts all of the information on your computer or network, essentially locking you out of your own system. Next, they threaten to permanently delete it all from your hard drive unless you pay them a ransom. This can obviously be devastating to small businesses, which need their systems running smoothly and have enough financial challenges without facing extortion.
If your communications are sufficiently encrypted, malware never has the opportunity to enter your system in the first place.
Now, Modern Convenience and Ultra Protection is Easy
Historically, people and businesses learned enough about technology to enjoy its practical benefits, but didn’t have the technical expertise to ensure they were safe from threats. Standard encryption technology required more know-how than people had, and required spending more time setting up than most were willing to devote.
source:wired.com
You can check this out to read about how new technology addresses this specific problem; now non-tech users can enjoy all the most popular communication tools like chatting and image messaging while being covered by the most robust encryption possible.
Modern telecommunications is a marvel of ingenuity that uses pocket-sized devices to connect people around the globe in ways that were previously unimaginable. Just take the time to consider even newer tech to keep you safe, so you can enjoy all of technology’s benefits without falling victim to its pitfalls.
