What will be the costliest expense for individuals and businesses over the next five years? According to Accenture, it could be cyber crime. Global cyber crime costs are expected to total $5.2 trillion between 2019 and 2024.
While most of the best-recognized incidents impacted large corporations, it’s worth noting that no one is safe from cyber crime. More importantly, everyone has a role to place in cybersecurity. It only takes one hole in the armor to render our cybersecurity programs worthless.
Keep reading to learn how to prevent cyber crime – or at least mitigate its effects.
Basic Internet Hygiene Prevents Devastating Attacks
Cybercriminals have access to increasingly sophisticated tools, but their best point of entry into any network isn’t to force their way in. Most hackers walk in through the unlocked front door.
In so many ways, basic internet hygiene is at the heart of cyber crime. Experts believe between 90% of passwords are vulnerable to hackers. So, if you use the same password for your email account, bank account, and online shopping accounts, you create a huge security risk for yourself.
Everyone – no matter who you are – needs strong passwords.
Your control your own passwords, which makes them fully your responsibility. And if you don’t use strong passwords at work, you could open up your entire company to cybercriminals.
What are some of the other basic security hygiene practices people often miss? They include:
- Failing to update software
- Connecting to unsecured networks
- Allowing children to access the internet without controls
These are all things you can do to protect against cyber crime. None of them requires technical skills or any investment.
How Important is Your Security Suite?
Your security suite serves as a barrier between you and cybercriminals. And it does play an important role in keeping attacks at bay.
While your security system detects and blocks threats, your basic hygiene remains at the center of your efforts to prevent attacks. For example, if your security suite requires an update and you don’t download and install it, you leave yourself vulnerable to potential holes in the old version of the software.
What should your security suite include? At a minimum, your entry-level software should offer:
- Antivirus
- Antimalware
- Antispam
- Firewall
- Parental controls
If you work from home or you run a small business, you should enquire about more robust security systems or even managed security services. Even if you think you’re a small fish, you’re still attractive to hackers because they believe you’re an ‘easy target,’ That’s why 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
Everyone Should Know How to Prevent Cyber Crime
Knowing how to prevent cyber crime is an essential life skill. And the good news is you don’t need a degree or even any money to protect yourself. Everyone can work together to stop cybercriminals by creating strong passwords (and not sharing them), updating their software regularly, and avoiding dodgy wifi networks and links.
Without these fundamental practices, even the best cybersecurity suites don’t stand a chance.
Did you learn something new in this article? Find more great security tips in our Tech archive!
