5 cybersecurity tips to help minimize your risk online

In this digital age, it is nearly impossible not to be connected someway to the internet. While there are those who would use their computer knowledge to take advantage of you, with everything from the recent “Zoombombing” to the seemingly ubiquitous phishing scams, you can help protect yourself through some digital sense and a healthy dose of skepticism.

Keep track of your information

Personal data such as logins, passwords, birthdays, addresses etc. are all valuable to attackers. With such information they can gain access to bank accounts, social media accounts, retirement funds and more. That is why being aware of what information you make public is so important. Be sure to check:

• The personal contact information on your resume.
• How many details you give away through your voicemail greeting.
• What information is visible on your social media account, even to those who are not your friends.
• What websites you allow access to your social media.

“When you are on social media and see the quizzes about ‘What kind of Pokémon character are you?’ when you click on that you are allowing this app to access X,Y,Z on your account,” said Seminole State College of Florida Professor of Networking Dr. Adam Stark. With that information, companies can use it for their own gain or sell it to others.

Be mindful of where you are

“Don’t use public Wi-Fi,” said Stark. “If you are going to use it, then don’t do anything important.” Attackers can easily purchase network scanners or set up a fake Wi-Fi hotspot where your traffic will pass through them, and they may easily see your usernames and passwords in plain text.

Be skeptical with your email

One of the biggest ways attackers gain access to systems to steal information or plant malware, malicious software including computer viruses, is through tricking people into clicking on phishing links. Just by clicking the link, infected code could be contaminating your device, or the link could take you to a convincing webpage to entice you to log in or provide your personal information.

“It is a numbers game with robo calls and phishing links. And cybercriminals need just 1% to fall for it,” said Stark. “Out of cybersecurity, the attacker only has to be right one time. Cybersecurity professionals have to be right 100% of the time.” Once attackers are in the network, they are difficult to detect. When you receive an email that seems fishy, or if there is no reason you should have received it, delete it.

Take action if you think you’re at risk

If you do happen to click on a phishing link, there are steps you should immediately take to try to mitigate the risk. First, do not enter any personal data. If you are on a computer that is connected to a larger network, such as a school or work computer system, notify your IT team. You should disconnect your device from the internet to reduce the risk of malware spreading to other devices and use an anti-virus software to scan your computer. Finally, when you can, change your passwords.

Passwords should be easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Try tricks such as using symbols or numbers in place of letters so that words read the same but are more difficult to guess (such as switching the letter ‘E’ for the number ‘3’) and avoid writing down the passwords.

Educate Yourself

After seeing how vulnerable you are online, it may be tempting never to surf the web again. However, you can’t let the information paralyze you or keep you from living your day-to-day life. Using some digital common sense and staying aware of where your information is can help keep you safe. 

If you are interested in learning more about cybersecurity and how to protect systems from attacks, check out the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technology at Seminole State. The program’s Cyber Security Specialization focuses on providing security for the IT resources and assets of any organization and offers hands-on, practical experience.