Cybersecurity is of increasing importance as technology continues to flourish and change the world in which we live. With every new creation, there is always a period of tweaks and modifications which takes place to perfect it. During these periods, people learn to take advantage of the creations and use them in a negative manner. Common civilians fail to realize when security threats actually are taking place and when they are not.
Here are 4 security threats that often go ignored.
Mobile Malware
With the heavy emphasis on turning everything into being mobile responsive, mobile malware is one security threat which people may not be fully informed about. Mobile malware can be defined as malicious software specifically built to attack mobile phone or smartphone systems. The most common form of mobile malware is related to short message fraud and personal invasion. Mobile malware is mostly found in mobile applications.
There are a few ways to protect your smartphone from malware. Strictly using legitimate app stores such as Google, Amazon, or Samsung is a good place to start. These platforms are constantly monitored for spammy apps. Other precautions you can take include avoiding apps with terrible reviews or big promises, and also staying away from pirated apps.
Device Loss or Theft
People are often users of many different types of devices and store important data on these devices thinking they are safe. For the most part this is true, but sometimes people can be careless with their devices (although they cost a fortune) and lose them or they are stolen.
You can’t help if somebody steals one of your devices, but you can help yourself in terms of data protection. Most devices these days have the capability to encrypt and password protect the data they hold. As a user, take advantage of these security features any time you can in order to protect yourself in case you do lose or have a device stolen.
Unencrypted Email
Email can be a very dangerous form of data when it is in the wrong hands. Emails often contain very important data or information however, millions of them are sent each day with no encryption.
In today’s society it is very easy to encrypt an email without adding time or confusion into your daily life. There are many user friendly solutions out there in which people can exploit. Encrypting emails not only throws cybercriminals off their game, but also protects against human error. Many times throughout the day or week, we send an email to the wrong email address.
Open Wi-Fi
Wi-fi is constantly surrounding users who are trying to connect devices everywhere they go whether it is in their homes, local restaurants, or at work. Especially with phone companies now charging for data packages, wi-fi is a hot commodity.
Due to this nature, users should make sure they are protecting their wi-fi connections. Users cannot really control restaurants or their place of business, but they can control their personal internet connections. Make sure you have a security policy in place for your wi-fi network as this will protect you from hackers spying on your internet traffic and much more.
For more information on security threats in Nashville and how to protect yourself please visit our website here. We offer free security risk assessments as well for users who are curious on how their doing in terms of personal security.
