Cybersecurity refers to all of the components involved in protecting computers, networks, data, and programs from digital threats. It is especially relevant today when computers are constantly evolving and many sectors of our daily lives are going digital. This cybersecurity basics for beginners includes some basic safety tips that should be used by novice users and children.
The growing use of computing devices in every sector of our lives also means that we have become vulnerable in new ways. No longer does someone need to break into your home to steal your money. Instead, e-banking and e-commerce make it possible for someone to steal from you without even being in the same country.
This is why we all need to learn what cybersecurity is and the measures we can take to stay safe online.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity refers to the people, tools, and measures you may use of to protect your devices, data networks, and programs from digital threats. It is meant to protect you from identity theft, persons who may seek to destroy your work, ransomware attacks, industrial espionage, data theft, and more.
As cyber threats and cyberattacks evolve, so must our efforts to protect ourselves online. Your cybersecurity efforts must begin with education.
There are many cybersecurity basics that students should learn to stay safe online.
Common online dangers
The list of online dangers is evolving daily. Some common online dangers to look out for are:
- Phishing attacks: This refers to deceptive digital tactics where scammers gain access to information by pretending to be someone they are not. An example would be if someone were to create a fake website that models another website, such as that of a bank. This may cause you to share sensitive financial information while believing you are sharing this with your bank.
- Social media risks: Social media has grown like wildfire, opening a new list of avenues of online dangers, particularly to young people or students. These sites can expose users to scams and other threats. Novice users must understand that sharing too much personal information on these sites can endanger them.
- Malware: It is essential to be careful about the sites you visit and download files from. Downloading music, videos, games, and other files online can leave you vulnerable to malware. Ensure that you only download such files from websites that you trust.
Here are some cybersecurity basics for beginners
In this digital age, billions of people spend time online daily. We share information, download videos and music, chat with friends and family, and more. With the many dangers available, it is vital that we learn some cybersecurity basics and how to stay safe online.
Here are some basic things that you ought to do to protect your information while online:
Use strong passwords
The purpose of a password is to prevent other persons from accessing your device or information without your consent. As such, a password should be something a person or program cannot decode or guess easily.
Do not use your date of birth, middle name, or other personal information as a password. Strong passwords contain a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
Two-factor authentication also adds another layer of security when using passwords. An example of two-factor authentication is where, after being asked to enter your password, you receive an SMS message with a random code, which you need to enter into a browser to verify your identity.
This is a good practice that reduces the chance of persons being able to access your information without authorization.
Privacy Settings
Understand that there are people on the internet who are prepared to exploit you. Typically we share way more of ourselves on these platforms than we realize.
It is amazing how often people refer to people they meet online as their friends. What do you actually know about the person you are talking to?
The truth is, you must avoid sharing your personal information online to stay safe.
You should check your privacy settings to ensure that any information you share online is only available to those with whom you wish to share it. Before you share something, ask yourself these questions:
- Who can see my information?
- Is your profile public, available only to friends, or do you have custom settings?
- Do my followers really need to know that?
- Are you sharing information with all of your followers that you would typically only share with a few select friends?
- In the wrong hands, can this information or image be used to exploit me?
- Random as they may appear, there is identifying information that you should avoid sharing on the internet. These types of information are unique to you and may be used by financial institutions to identify you.
- Am I sharing too much?
Beware of propaganda – Fake news online
In this digital age people feeling hidden behind their computer screens often share fake news (propaganda) online. They do this for several reasons:
- Political milage
- To create a buzz
- Mischief
- Amusement and more
Before you share information, ask yourself, “Is this true?”
You should even go a step further and validate the information. You can do this by:
- Searching news articles from credible sources;
- Searching the internet to see if others are reporting this scam;
- Going directly to the person concerned to learn whether the information is correct or not; and
- Checking the credibility of the source of the information.
Think before you click
Before you click a link, ask yourself, “Does this look safe?” Hover over a link to ensure the page displayed is what you expect.
Look for misspellings and extra characters. One such example would be bankofthecaymans.com as opposed to bank0fthecaymans.com. This sort of subtle change is typical of sites designed for phishing attacks.
Before you go
Cybersecurity begins with education and ends with vigilance. As long as you are using the internet, you must understand that you are vulnerable to attacks. However, with some basic safety measures, you will be able to escape the reach of the usual cybercriminal.