To protect your finances, privacy and online life, you need to think like a cyber-security professional. Are you following these precautions?
In 2013, police in South Cambridgeshire in England took to the streets with an unexpected crime-fighting tool.
The officers wandered past houses, looking for open windows or unlocked doors, then placed balloons in people’s front rooms and kitchens. By attaching advice about home security, the police hoped to encourage people to protect their property with greater care.
Home-owners who received these inflatable prompts were in the minority in their local area – most people in towns and cities lock their doors without thinking twice. But millions of computer users around the world don’t have the same mentality about their digital devices.
In fact, many frequently expose themselves to security threats online, or fall for scams in which they mistakenly give up access to their personal information or even their bank account. Fraud is very much on the rise and the recent boom has largely been attributed to the perseverance of cyber-criminals hoping to catch us out.
Why don’t we have a door-locking mindset when it comes to computers?
If you step back and consider the downsides of being hacked, it seems absurd that we don’t. Yes, your home is filled with many valuable items, but your computer and email account likely contain intimate personal information, sensitive work documents, and even access to your finances.
Source: BBC
