Cybercrime is one of the biggest threats to our society these days. It’s growing bigger year after year. Experts expect cybercrime to grow 15% in the next five years reaching a cost of USD 10,5 trillion and important data and information stolen. It’s already quite clear that cybercrime is going to be something we will continue to fight in the future. A huge number of businesses continue to get attacked by cybercrime at great costs. But as a private person or business, there are some security measures that you can take to increase your cybersecurity.
Virtual Private Network
One simple but very effective way to increase your cybersecurity is to get yourself a VPN (virtual private network) of high quality. A VPN creates its own network and encrypts your data so it’s more or less untraceable. This makes it very hard for cybercriminals to breach your security and enter your computer or device. This is one of the best ways to keep your data and identity safe from cybercrime.
It’s important to try and find the best VPN possible. You can read more about the importance of a VPN when using the internet. In addition to a VPN, you can also consider getting both a firewall and an antivirus program. These types of software are great safety measures to increase your cybersecurity – just remember to choose a software of high quality.
Update your passwords
Another thing that is often underestimated is the importance of strong passwords. A password is the primary security measure that you use for all your accounts and devices. If one is breached it will be much easier for hackers to access everything else including your sensitive information.
This is why you should always have unique passwords for all your accounts and update them regularly. A strong password consists of a minimum of 8 characters. These characters should be a random combination of both numbers and letters. Always avoid using real words since these are much easier to hack than a random letter-number combination. Skip the password that you’ve used for the last 15 years and it will be much harder for hackers to get to your personal information.
Consider where you go
The internet is a huge place, so of course, there are some sites where you will be more exposed to cybercrime. This is why you should consider which sites you visit when online. You can increase your security simply by considering where you go. Avoid to the best of your ability visiting unsecured sites. Another thing to avoid is downloading anything that you don’t know exactly what is and clicking suspicious links.
One of the most common ways for people to be hit by a cyberattack is by opening an unfriendly email, so this is something to be aware of.
