Cyber Security

Using the internet is a necessity now. Every day almost everyone has to use online services. With the increasing usage of the internet and digital services, it is obvious to expect some people are going to misuse or abuse it for selfish motives.

Then cyber security is taken into consideration.

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Today we’ll discuss cyber security. What is Cyber Security? And ways to avoid Cyber Attacks and save yourself from fraudulent activities online.

You should be very careful while revealing your private information on the internet. It is important to keep your digital devices such as mobiles, computers, laptops, and smartwatches safe from bad access.

• What is cyber security?

In simple terms, cyber security is a way to protect whatever device you use. Cyber security is a way of protecting complex systems and sensitive information from digital attacks, also known as information technology (IT) security.

The field is so vast that there are different types of cyber security experts in the industry. Soon you will see they will fight the cyber attacks from external forces just like the army does it on the border or the navy in the waters.

On the internet, we often register on many websites filling in our private information like phone number, Aadhaar details, birth date, etc. But not all websites are secure and can share your personal details with the public.

So here is tip #1 whenever you visit a website check this ‘lock’ icon in the browser. What does that ‘lock’ icon mean? It shows that website is using SSL which is a Secure Sockets Layer. This is a protocol that helps securely exchange data between the server/database and the browser.

A little bit of technical awareness can help you avoid falling prey to cyber-attacks.

• When is cyber security needed?

As the use of the internet is increasing in the world, technology is upgrading rapidly day by day. Every day new websites and applications are being created. New tools and platforms are coming up on the internet every day.

Many people use such platforms on the Internet. The creator of such platforms then has a responsibility to ensure that the data of the people using his platform or tools is secure.

When the creator of a website or platform is not well versed in security then he should consult cyber security consultants and experts.

• Types of attacks in cyber security

1. Phishing Attack

In a phishing attack, the hacker creates a fake page similar to the registered web page of a website. The link is sent to you via email or social media and your ID and password are leaked as soon as you try to create an account or log in to it.

2. Malware

Malware gets installed inside your system then try to download something like games, songs, images, or software from a malicious website. Such malware corrupts your system or deletes data inside it. Malware can be detected using licensed malware remover such as MalwareBytes

3. Denial-of-service attack

All types of websites run on web servers. When a hacker sends a lot of fake/bot traffic to the server to exhaust server resources. The server goes down and there is a risk of the website shutting down, which can also cause a huge loss in profit to the website owner. You can safeguard your website from this type of cyber attack by using services like Cloudflare

4. Man in the middle

From the very name of this crime, we know that a third man comes between two people and commits a criminal act. Simply put, a hacker tracks a conversation between two people on the internet, and it makes the conversation between the two men viral on the Internet. Which is called Man in the middle.

4. SQL injection

On any website, the data submitted by its users is stored in a place called a database. With the help of SQL injection, a hacker attacks such a database and steals or deletes all the data contained in it.

It is always better to avoid such cyber attacks.

1. Free WiFi is available in public places such as parks, bus stations, railway stations, etc. The use of such free wifi should always be avoided. Should be used only by VPN if required.

2. We all get emails or SMS that you have won the lottery, get your lottery money by filling out the form given in the link given below. Remember that all such emails and SMS are forged and under no circumstances should the link be clicked.

3. Stay away from calls and SMS from unknown mobile numbers.

4. Don’t keep your password the same on different platforms or websites on the internet and keep changing this password from time to time. The use of the auto-save password service from the browser should be avoided when entering the password.

5. Don’t use easily tracked passwords, use strong passwords instead. You can use a password manager or generator like LastPass

6. Do not save credit card or debit card information on any untrusted website.
7. Avoid replying to fake messages and fraud offers on WhatsApp.

• Cyber security of India

We know that most of the people in our country still do not have enough knowledge of the internet and cyber security, and they are getting looted by such cyber attacks. Our first duty then is to make them aware of cyber security crimes and how to avoid them.

India enacted laws relating to cyber security in 2013, and then in 2017 cyber security centers and cyber police stations were set up in most of the states of the country.

Stealing someone’s personal data or committing a criminal act on the internet is a crime under cyber security and is subject to legal penalties.

If you have been the victim of such a cyber attack or cyber crime, it should not be hidden and should be reported to the cyber police station.

As mentioned earlier, the internet is a necessity now and we cannot avoid using it. So it is always better to know how to use it without hurting yourself.

Please share this post with your friends and family on the Whatsapp group, Facebook, etc to make them aware and save accidental loss of personal information or money theft.

Jay Hind.