Protecting yourself Online

According to the Cyber Exposure Index, South Africa has the third highest number of cybercrime victims globally. South African citizens are most often hit with phishing and pharming attacks, which are committed to gain access to one’s identity. This is why it is so important to apply certain measures to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

According to the Cyber Exposure Index, South Africa has the third highest number of cybercrime victims globally. South African citizens are most often hit with phishing and pharming attacks, which are committed to gain access to one’s identity. This is why it is so important to apply certain measures to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.

Protect yourself online:

Update all things! Always make sure to install the latest security updates/patches. It is very important to update your operating system, applications and any software you are using. Many common cyberattacks often take advantage of flaws in outdated software, such as PDF readers and old web browsers. You should also update the firmware on your router and any devices you use that can connect to the internet. By keeping everything up to date, you lower your chances of becoming a victim of malware.

Don’t reuse passwords – rather make use of a password manager. Password managers are apps or browser extensions that generate strong passwords and keep track of them for you so you don’t have to remember everything – you only need one strong master password. The risk of a script kiddie reusing a shared password that has been leaked is greater than a sophisticated hacker targeting your database of passwords.

Some password managers store your passwords encrypted in the cloud, so even if the company gets hacked, your passwords will be safe. Some examples of good password managers include 1Password, Dashlane and LastPass.

Add an additional layer of protection to your accounts by enabling two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication. Two-factor authentication requires not only a password and username, but also some piece of information only known to the user. This can be a numerical code sent to the user’s mobile phone, or something the user has at hand- such as a physical token. Google Authenticator, DUO Mobile, or Authy are all good authentication apps for your smartphone.

Make use of security plugins, such as ad blockers, to protect yourself from malware embedded in advertising on some sites. HTTPS Everywhere is another useful browser plugin designed to force the usage of HTTPS automatically whenever possible. This will help protect against attackers trying to tamper with your connection to the site you want to visit or if they want to redirect you to a malicious website, because it forces your connection to be encrypted.

Make use of a VPN, especially if you are using the Internet in a public space, such as WIFI at coffee shops or at the airport– because you are sharing it with people you don’t know. Virtual Private Networks are a secure channel between your computer and the internet. If you use a VPN, you first connect to the VPN, and then to the whole internet, adding a layer of security and privacy. Freedome, Private Internet Access, NordVPN and Algo are some good VPN’s recommended by Motherboard.

Remember to disable macros: People with malicious intent can use Microsoft Office macros inside documents to spread malware to your computer. This is an old and easy trick often used to spread ransomware.

Don’t open attachments without precautions: Cybercriminals often embed hidden malware inside attachments such as Word docs or PDFs. Antiviruses occasionally stop those threats, but it’s better to use your commons sense: don’t open attachments (or click on links) from people you don’t know, or that you weren’t expecting. (And if you really want to do that, use precautions, you can save the file to Google Drive, and then open it within Drive, which is even safer because then the file is being opened by Google and not your computer.)

Back up your files: It is better to do it while you are disconnected from the network to an external hard drive, so that even if your files are destroyed or encrypted by ransomware, the backup won’t get infected

Try avoid using Flash, or change the settings on your browser so you have to click to run Flash each time. Adobe Flash is one of the preferred methods that cybercriminals use to attack users worldwide.

Don’t overexpose yourself for no reason: Be careful what information you post online. Ensure your Facebook, Twitter, and other social accounts are set on “private”, because personal information, such as your home address or high school can be used to gather more information via social engineering schemes. Attackers can gradually piece together information– the more personal information an attacker has about you, the more likely they are to gain access to one of your accounts.