As the digital world celebrates World Internaut Day, it’s crucial to reflect on our journey. With a remarkable 5.16 billion active internet users, which translates to 64.4% of the global populace, the figures from WeAreSocial aptly depict the internet’s profound impact on our lives. Check Point Software a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, marks this occasion to both laud the internet’s revolutionary influence and sound a warning bell about burgeoning cyber threats.
As shown by Statista studies, a large proportion of users around the world said they could not “imagine their life without the Internet”, actively connected to the network for an average of up to 6.4 hours a day.
The digital age, while bringing countless benefits, is not devoid of perils. As Check Point Research meticulously highlights, there’s been a 38% escalation in cyberattacks in just the past year. Cybercriminals today are far more cunning and versatile, deploying an array of tactics, such as:
• Child Targeted Malware: Children, despite their commendable tech-savviness, are vulnerable. Malicious apps, cleverly camouflaged under familiar brands or characters, pose substantial threats.
• Business Phishing: Cyber adversaries craftily impersonate trusted entities, using deceptive emails and counterfeit websites, all with the aim of pilfering crucial data.
• Social Media Deceptions: Social platforms are rife with fake giveaways and contests, cunningly designed to mislead users into inadvertently parting with their personal information.
• Phone Scams: Voice scams, often preying on the elderly, capitalize on the perceived intimacy and immediacy of voice communication to deceive.
• IoT Breaches: The proliferation of connected devices, though revolutionary, has inadvertently provided cyber miscreants with new gateways for unauthorized data infiltration.
To fortify one’s online presence, Check Point Software offers a compilation of six vital security tips:
1. Consistent Updates: Keeping all software, from OS to applications, updated ensures protection against known vulnerabilities.
2. Robust Password Hygiene: Crafting unique passwords, an amalgamation of letters, numbers, and symbols, is fundamental.
3. Leverage 2FA: Bolster account security by enabling a secondary verification layer, typically via email or SMS.
4. Vigilance with Apps: Exercise discernment when installing apps, opting only for those from verified, trusted sources.
5. Steer Clear of Unknown Attachments: Unsolicited files, however benign they seem, could be Trojan horses. Caution is advised.
6. Public Wi-Fi Discretion: Public networks, often devoid of robust security, are fertile grounds for cyber breaches. It’s prudent to limit sensitive activities on such networks.
