We live in a digitalized world where virtually all the information we need is at our fingertips, and we can connect to a person on the other side of the planet, share information, pay bills, shop, and much more, all with a few clicks of a button.
However, while billions of people all over the world reap the benefits of the latest technological advancements on a daily basis, some use the same services to target people who are less familiar with the internet and the potential threats it hides.
In this article, we will cover some of the most common security threats you can face online. Hopefully, you will be able to avoid them in the future and save yourself the trouble.
Third-Party Vulnerabilities
Third-party attacks occur when an online service uses a third party to process payments and/or store personal data and details. These attacks are the biggest problems when gambling online or shopping on the web. Instead of targeting the business directly, attackers will target the third party used to process transactions to obtain sensitive information, such as social security numbers or credit card info.
Therefore, whenever you leave your credit card information online, make sure that the website you are ing at is well-protected. At the same time, you should also check that the website uses the latest form of protection to encrypt transactions and secure your data, making it unreadable by any attackers.
Phishing Attacks
Have you ever received an email from a pretending to be a representative of a well-known business or a you may trust? If that is the case, you have been a victim of a phishing attack.
Phishing attacks are one of the most widespread threats on the internet. These attacks usually target small businesses or individual s. One of the reasons they are dangerous is because they don’t actually try to exploit any weakness in your system security but rather take advantage of the human side and our trusting nature.
Scammers will often pretend they are from a website you have ed at and send you an email telling you that your security is compromised or inviting you to click on a link to claim a bonus or a coupon. By following the link, you may expose your data and give the attacker access to your details and sensitive information.
Malware
Malware is a term used to describe various software threats, such as trojans and viruses. This type of attack is similar to phishing attacks. Namely, malware comes from ing and executing malicious software by clicking on a link from a spam email or connecting to other devices that are infected with malware.
The purpose of malware is to corrupt data, granting attackers easy backdoor access to your information. Once they can easily access your data, attackers can steal valuable business information, security details, and much more. Additionally, hackers may infect your devices with ransomware with the idea to encrypt your data and demand a ransom to allow you to access the encrypted information.
How to Protect Yourself on the Web
Hackers or scammers on the web will often try to exploit human good nature, naivety, or inexperience. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if something sounds too good to be true, it is most likely a scam, and you did not just win $1 million. The best thing you can do is to arm yourself with anti-virus software, only click on links from trusted senders, and visit reputable websites that use the latest form of protection.