041Tech columnist Jenine Wyngaard is a full time IT Security Analyst, and this month (which happens to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month) she shares some Cybersecurity tips we all need to take note of.
OCTOBER is not only the month for the supernatural monsters of the world, it’s also Cybersecurity Awareness Month which is aimed at highlighting the digital monsters out there. Cybersecurity Awareness Month — celebrated every October — was created in 2004 as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month was created in 2004 as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every person has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.
South Africa is currently ranked 5th in the global cyber crime density list with cybercrimes costing us approximately R2.2 billion per annum.
It is estimated that 2 000 South Africans fell victim to cybercrime in 2022 and the forecast for 2023 is with a 20% increase.
Technology advances in IT security controls assist with keeping us safer, but the biggest weak link in the chain remains the human element. In recent years, the term “human firewall” has become popular in the cybersecurity space. The term human firewall is used to describe people who follow best practices to prevent, as well as report, any data breaches or suspicious cyber activity. Cybersecurity awareness helps to cultivate this behavioral psychology as a norm in society to help ensure that all end users are armed with the knowledge to protect themselves against cyber attacks. Below are a breakdown of the major cyber security tips:
 | Stay cautious of the unknown links you receive through emails, messages, or while visiting other web pages that are not secure enough. Clickjacking is among the most common methods used by hackers to gain access to your personal data. Links in mails in the form of password recovery emails, bank statements, etc. are among the most popular methods used by hackers to trick you and gain your personal information. The fake sites connected to these links are too similar to the real ones where the hackers will get you to provide your personal details and gain access to your account using the same. |
 | It may be easy to use and remember the same password across multiple platforms for all your accounts, but it makes your account more insecure. Make use of distinct passwords for all your different accounts. With this practice, even if a company where you have an account is breached/ hackers have gotten access to one of your account credentials, these credentials would not work on other accounts. Follow best practice principles to create secure password phrases as passwords e.g. il0v3Cyber$ecur1tyTip$!Make use of a password manager tool to securely store your passwords e.g. KeePass, LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, etc. |
 | Generally, you require only your user id and password to sign in to your account, but the MFA service enables you to add extra security layers to the standard method of using passwords for online verification. With this, you will receive a prompt to add another method of authentication along with the password, like a code, fingerprint, OTP in your phone number or email, etc. With this method, you will be required to enter more than two credentials while logging in, keeping your account more secure by making it more difficult for hackers to access your data. |
 | Keep all your browsers, software, and operating systems up-to-date. The older your system and its configurations are, the longer the hackers have to find and exploit all the weaknesses. Updating them will prevent attackers from exploiting them for enough time until new updates. Remember to only download and install updates from official sources. |
 | In phishing attacks, hackers assume a different identity in order to trick you so that you provide them with your credentials, click on a malicious link, or open files or attachments that can attack the system with viruses or other malware. This can lead to a ransom attack.Do not open emails from unknown people or sourcesHover over the links before clicking to figure out where they direct and if the link seems unsafe, do not click itCheck for any type of grammatical errors and the domain id of the sender |
 | When you come across new sites shared by your friends or even strangers online, be cautious of visiting them because some of them may contain drive-by download attacks that can attack your system. It is recommended to visit only well-established websites that you are familiar with. |
 | Downloads are among the top tricks used by attackers to gain access to your networks and systems. Avoid downloading unnecessary software and browser extensions. Choose the process of custom installation while installing anything and go through each of the steps carefully. During the installation process, if you receive pop-ups for any extensions or add-ons, decline them. |
 | In this modern, digital era, it has become easy for us to reconnect and get in touch with friends and family through various social media platforms over the Internet, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, etc. However, you need to be careful of whatever you share online. Hackers can gain a lot of information from your social media pages and profiles.Check your security settings on your profile to ensure your desired audience is correct. Consider setting up a separate account if you need a completely public account and then be mindful of what information is shared via that profile. |
 | Backups are nothing but a copy of the files or network’s data for the purpose of restoration in case of damage or loss. Cyber attacks may lead to data loss and file damage. In certain situations, there is no guarantee that the attackers will return the stolen data even after paying the ransom. |
 | If you are using public Wi-Fi, make sure that you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) along with it. VPN allows your device to be secured as it encrypts the traffic between the server and your device. This increases the difficulty of hackers when they try to access your personal data by hacking into your device. If you do not have a VPN, you should use a mobile network or other secure connections to use the Internet. |
 | Hackers can attack your systems and networks through various methods, such as malware, viruses, phishing attacks, trojans, spyware, etc., to gain access to your data. With the help of anti-virus software and firewalls, your system will be capable of defending itself against these attacks. Ensure that your firewall and AV software are updated regularly. |
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