Personal Data Security

 These days, every aspect of our lives is connected in some way to the internet. 

Our medical records are digital, our work happens in the cloud, and we even socialize online more than ever before. For that reason, it has never been more critical for the average person to take steps to maintain strict control of their personal data. 

Why you need to enhance your personal data security 

The threats to that data are immense. So far in 2019, the Identity Theft Resource Center has cataloged at least 1,152 data breaches that exposed about 160 million records – and those are just the ones that have been publicly reported. That figure indicates that we're on track to have our worst year for data security since experts began keeping track and there are no signs that it's going to get better soon, despite businesses taking great pains to improve the ways they handle and protect the data they collect from users. 

The only solution is for every individual to seize control of their digital fate and start taking some defensive measures to keep their data safe. As it turns out, there are some pretty simple ways to do that. Here are five clever, easy-to-manage ways to enhance your personal data security right now. 

1. Secure your online accounts

By far, most data breaches happen due to careless mistakes by users in securing their online accounts. Those mistakes can leave any data you store online vulnerable to attack and increase your odds of being a victim of identity theft or other kinds of cybercrime. In fact, even when you do everything right, you could still be a victim if the site itself suffers a hack and your passwords end up for sale on the dark web.

To make sure you stay safe, there are some best practices you should follow to secure your online accounts. First, check here to see if any of your online accounts are already known to be compromised. If so, change your passwords right away.

When you do, follow these guidelines: 

l never use the same password for multiple accounts

l never include personally identifiable information in passwords (names, birth dates, etc.)

l choose passwords that are hard to guess but easy for you to remember

l create passwords that are as long as the site you're securing will allow

l never share your passwords with anyone or keep them stored in plain text (on your devices or in writing)

Whenever it's an option, make use of two-factor authentication (2FA). That makes it so that even a hacker with access to your passwords still won't be able to access your accounts. Even better, invest in a hardware security key to make your accounts totally bulletproof.

2. Use encryption everywhere

One of the best ways to protect your personal data is to use encryption to render it unreadable by anyone other than those who are authorized to see it. The first step is to enable storage encryption on your connected devices, so they will be safe even in the event they're lost or stolen. On iOS or Android-powered devices, this can be accomplished at the touch of a button. On Windows devices, the process is a little more involved, but it's still worth doing.

The next thing to do is to make sure that you use websites that operate with SSL encryption whenever possible. You'll know if a website is encrypted if its address begins with "https://" or you see a padlock icon preceding the site's name in your web browser's address bar. To help you make sure you're using the encrypted versions of websites as much as possible, you can even install a free browser plugin that will redirect you to the right place by default whenever possible.

Another way to use encryption to keep your data safe is to use VPN software, which will encrypt all of your internet traffic no matter where it's headed. Today, you can subscribe to a month of a consumer VPN service for about the cost of a cup of coffee, so it's an inexpensive security upgrade for any internet user.

There are a variety of providers that offer VPN service for multiple platforms (to cover all of your devices), and it's even easy to find a VPN for Mac computers, despite the closed nature of Apple's software ecosystem. In that way, you can wrap all of your data in a layer of encryption for added privacy and security everywhere. 

3. Update your software

In today's multi-platform and multi-device environment, manufacturers go out of their way to make connected devices as user-friendly as possible. One of the side effects of that is the fact that software updates often happen in the background, and it's easy to lose track of each device's status. Worse still, people all over (and even some big corporations) still have the nasty habit of deliberately stopping software updates because they find them inconvenient.

From a personal data security point of view, that's a terrible mistake. The vast majority of device-specific cyberattacks rely on unpatched software flaws to gain access to protected systems, so avoiding software updates is akin to inviting hackers to take advantage of you. For that reason, you should set aside time every week to check to make sure all software on all of your devices is as up-to-date as possible.

In addition, to all of you Windows 7 holdouts out there, keep in mind that support for the venerable OS will end on January 14, 2020. At that time, Microsoft will stop providing OS security updates. Make sure to plan to either upgrade or replace your Windows 7 machines by then if you want to stay safe.

4. Minimize your online footprint

One of the biggest difficulties people have when trying to protect their data online is the sheer scope of what they have to try and secure. To tackle the challenge, the first thing to do is to try and eliminate unnecessary online accounts to make yourself a smaller target for hackers. There are several methods you can use to find and delete old or unused web accounts, and you should make every effort to do so.

With your accounts pared down to a manageable level, the next thing you should do is to categorize the accounts you have left into groups. Connect your most important accounts to an email account that you don't plan to ever get rid of (so no work accounts or ISP-provided emails). Consider connecting everything else to a throwaway email account so you'll be able to dispose of the accounts (and the email itself) if any of them are ever compromised.

5. Keep data backups

Last but not least, it's important to realize that in the face of constant threats to your personal data, it's possible that no defense will be adequate. That's especially true in light of the recent explosive rise in ransomware attacks around the world. They're proof that a cyber criminal can cause just as much trouble by denying you access to your own data as they can by stealing it for themselves.

For that reason, it's critical to keep up-to-date backups of all of your critical data so you can recover from such an attack. There are several ways you can go about doing this, ranging from local disk backups to cloud-connected backup services. No matter which you choose the most important thing is to make sure that your backup is running as it should and to conduct a test restore every now and then to check that your recovery procedure works correctly.

On top of that, you should be running a credible antivirus and anti-malware software to keep your PC infection-free. That will not only decrease the likelihood that you'll suffer a ransomware attack in the first place but also help alert you to a problem before it can be replicated into your backup data. An infected backup, while not always the end of the world, is a situation you should try to avoid at all costs.

Keep secure; stay safe

If you put these five simple steps into effect, you'll be doing your utmost to keep your personal data safe and secure on your devices and online. There's no such thing as a sure thing, though, because you still have to rely on the sites and services you use to do their part to keep your data secure.

Still, the proactive steps outlined here should serve as an effective defense against the vast majority of data threats, so they're more than worth your time and effort. So put them into action today and you should be safe and secure no matter what threats may come. 

Top cyber threats in India. Computer Security Day

 

Computer Security Day serves as a way to spread awareness about computer viruses and cyber crimes. It falls on November 30th.

Top cyber threats in India:

1. Malware

1. Malicious employees

1. Third-party error

1. Poorly designed systems

1. Phishing and whaling

Source: Sophos

TLDR:

For Computer Security Day 2023, India's top experts have shared their best practices for staying protected from cyber threats. Keep reading to learn all about:

• Ways to effectively measure the cybersecurity awareness of your employees and stakeholders
• How to comply with evolving data protection laws and regulations
• Methods to set up patch management without disrupting critical systems and workflow
• How to enforce advanced password protection policies without compromising user experience (UI)
• Advanced security techniques to protect your network infrastructure

Cyber attacks targeted 36 government websites in 2023

In the first half of 2023, 36 government websites experienced hacking incidents, and over 4.29 lakh cyber security incidents related to financial institutions were recorded, according to data shared by Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

As many as 36 websites of ministries and departments under the central and various state governments faced hacking incidents in the first six months of 2023, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Cyber security watchdog CERT-In tracked these incidents.

According to data shared by the Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Lok Sabha, a total of 1,12,474 cyber security incidents have been tracked by CERT-In.

”The government is continuously engaged in formulating policies and setting technical standards in the cyberspace to holistically ensure accessible internet and to mitigate threats & vulnerabilities in the cyberspace,” Chandrasekhar said in a written reply.

As per the data, 36 websites of ministries and departments under the central and various state governments faced hacking incidents.

The minister also shared that over 4.29 lakh cyber security incidents pertaining to financial institutions occurred in the first half of 2023.

Protect yourself against cybercrime

 Cybercrime is any crime that takes place online or primarily online. Cybercriminals often commit crimes by targeting computer networks or devices. Other cybercrimes include things like “revenge porn,” cyber-stalking, bullying, and child sexual exploitation.

Cybercrime is an ongoing threat.

You might think that the only form of cybercrime you have to worry about is hackers stealing your financial information. But it may not be so simple. There are far more concerns than just basic financial ones. Cybercrime continues to evolve, with new threats surfacing every year.

When you hear and read about the range of cybercrimes out there, you might be tempted to stop using the internet entirely. That’s probably too drastic.

Instead, it’s a good idea to know how to recognize cybercrime, which can be the first step to helping protect yourself and your data. Taking some basic precautions and knowing who to contact when you see others engaged in criminal activities online are also important steps.

You might want to learn how to prevent cybercrime, but here’s the thing: You can’t. You can, however, take precautions to help protect against it.

What is cybercrime?

Cybercrime is any crime that takes place online or primarily online. Cybercriminals often commit crimes by targeting computer networks or devices. Cybercrime can range from security breaches to identity theft.

Other cybercrimes include things like “revenge porn,” cyber-stalking, harassment, bullying, and child sexual exploitation.

Terrorists collaborate on the internet, moving terrorist activities and crimes into cyberspace.

How to protect yourself against cybercrime

Anyone using the internet should exercise some basic precautions. Here are 11 tips you can use to help protect yourself against the range of cybercrimes out there.

1. Use a full-service internet security suite

It’s a good idea to consider trusted security software like Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, which provides all-in-one protection for your devices, online privacy, and identity, and helps protect your private and financial information when you go online.

2. Use strong passwords

Don’t repeat your passwords on different sites, and change your passwords regularly. Make them complex. That means using a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. A password management application can help you to keep your passwords locked down.

3. Keep your software updated

This is especially important with your operating systems and internet security software. Cybercriminals frequently use known exploits, or flaws, in your software to gain access to your system. Patching those exploits and flaws can make it less likely that you’ll become a cybercrime target.

4. Manage your social media settings

Keep your personal and private information locked down. Social engineering cybercriminals can often get your personal information with just a few data points, so the less you share publicly, the better. For instance, if you post your pet’s name or reveal your mother’s maiden name, you might expose the answers to two common security questions.

5. Strengthen your home network

It’s a good idea to start with a strong encryption password as well as a virtual private network. A VPN will encrypt all traffic leaving your devices until it arrives at its destination. If cybercriminals do manage to hack your communication line, they won’t intercept anything but encrypted data. It’s a good idea to use a VPN whenever you a public Wi-Fi network, whether it’s in a library, café, hotel, or airport.

6. Talk to your children about the internet

You can teach your kids about acceptable use of the internet without shutting down communication channels. Make sure they know that they can come to you if they’re experiencing any kind of online harassment, stalking, or bullying.

7. Keep up to date on major security breaches

If you do business with a merchant or have an account on a website that’s been impacted by a security breach, find out what information the hackers accessed and change your password immediately.

8. Take measures to help protect yourself against identity theft

Identity theft occurs when someone wrongfully obtains your personal data in a way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. How? You might be tricked into giving personal information over the internet, for instance, or a thief might steal your mail to access account information. That’s why it’s important to guard your personal data. A VPN — short for virtual private network — can also help to protect the data you send and receive online, especially when accessing the internet on public Wi-Fi.

9. Know that identity theft can happen anywhere

It’s smart to know how to protect your identity even when traveling. There are a lot of things you can do to help keep criminals from getting your private information on the road. These include keeping your travel plans off social media and being using a VPN when accessing the internet over your hotel’s Wi-Fi network.

10. Keep an eye on the kids

Just like you’ll want to talk to your kids about the internet, you’ll also want to help protect them against identity theft. Identity thieves often target children because their Social Security number and credit histories frequently represent a clean slate. You can help guard against identity theft by being careful when sharing your child’s personal information. It’s also smart to know what to look for that might suggest your child’s identity has been compromised.

11. Know what to do if you become a victim

If you believe that you’ve become a victim of a cybercrime, you need to alert the local police and, in some cases, the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission. This is important even if the crime seems minor. Your report may assist authorities in their investigations or may help to thwart criminals from taking advantage of other people in the future. If you think cybercriminals have stolen your identity. These are among the steps you should consider.

• Contact the companies and banks where you know fraud occurred.
• Place fraud alerts and get your credit reports.
• Report identity theft to the FTC.

Protect yourself from cyber fraud threats

 

Loan fee scams: Beware of swindlers promising loans with implausibly low interest rates and demanding upfront fees for processing, documentation, or insurance. Generally, legitimate lenders deduct processing fees from the loan amount; therefore, never pay processing fees in advance, especially using unconventional payment methods such as gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Fake loan offers: Scammers may contact borrowers via email, text, or phone with enticing loan offers while requesting sensitive personal information. To avoid becoming a victim, you should only conduct business with reputable financial institutions and refrain from sharing sensitive information unless the lender's legitimacy has been verified. Legitimate lenders leverage automated data verification platforms to ensure the authenticity of loan offers.

Identity theft: Protect yourself from identity theft by monitoring your financial statements and credit reports regularly. Report promptly any unauthorised loans to your bank and credit bureaus to avoid repayment demands for loans you never took out.

Loan churning: Unscrupulous lenders may promote frequent loan refinancing, frequently with concealed fees. Understanding the terms and costs of refinancing can help you avoid unnecessary debt and financial stress. Partnering with transparent financial institutions that provide clear terms and conditions can safeguard against unnecessary financial burdens.

Guaranteed loan scams: Be sceptical of con artists who offer "guaranteed" loans without credit checks or income verification. Before extending a loan, legitimate lenders conduct comprehensive credit evaluations, so avoid loans that do not require documentation or credit reviews.

Stolen loan documents: Safeguard personal documents such as copies of your PAN card and salary slips to prevent impersonators from obtaining loans in your name. Regularly monitor financial statements for out-of-the-ordinary activity and destroy sensitive information prior to disposal. Genuine financial institutions conduct digital document verification to ensure the credentials presented are genuine, offering an additional layer of security.

Vigilance is key

Nowadays, protecting yourself from loan fraud requires unwavering vigilance. Verify the authenticity of lenders, scrutinise loan documents, and avoid upfront fees for loan approval. By staying informed and cautious, borrowers can mitigate the risks associated with cyber fraud and ensure their financial well-being in an increasingly interconnected world. 

By partnering with forward-thinking financial institutions that harness modern technological solutions, borrowers can minimise risks and ensure their financial well-being