In the technology ecosystem at the moment, the dominant discussion has been on cyber security. Although, there was an agreement that October would be the month of cyber security awareness.
Cyber security should always be present in every aspect of our lives since our lives are connected to the Internet. Whether it’s at home, work, at where just make sure that cyber security consciousness is there.
Spear Phishing: Always be on the look out for suspicious emails containing links or attachment.
- Turn off the option of automatically download image icon on your device
- Saving and scanning any attachments before opening them
- Before providing any kind of information, call and verify with the source that they are indeed the ones who sent the email.
“I don’t do links when I see links I don’t click them. If it is important that I should click them, then I call the sender to verify”, says Fitzgerald Kennedy, Assistant Legal Attaché, US Consulate General.
Mobile Devices: Ensure that your smart devices are protected from loss or theft. When downloading apps be careful, you need to trust those apps before you install. When an app starts requesting for more or additional detail, just stop, think about it and decide if to connect or not. There are malicious software, hotspots, etc.
In Africa, millions of Internet users would access the Internet via a smartphone; this would be a target area for hackers, says Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, Country Manager, Google.
However, it is also advisable to encrypt and back up your data. At Google we have encryption technology that we use, she added.
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Social Media: A lot of people spend much time on social media platforms, that being said. It is paramount to extend cyber security consciousness to this area as well.
- Set profiles to private, only those friends who know you.
- Be careful, do not post personal or sensitive information
- Avoid clicking suspicious links on Facebook and Twitters ( All social media platforms)
At Home: Most people have Internet connections in their various homes, either cable installation or a wifi. If wifi web site, encrypt home wifi with strong password.
- Most people have Antivirus installed on their devices. It is not enough to do just that; you need to update the software you are regularly using and back up your data as well.
- You can also go as far as letting the kids know more about cyber security and why it is important to be safe.
Cyber Trends: Technology is ever evolving and dynamic. It is nice to update and enlightened about the latest threats from the cyber security awareness team and other needful information.
The IoT is one of the areas that should be a target area for hackers. Sometimes we think, we cannot get hacked. It is for our good to start paying attention to simple things like email addresses. “For instance, someone can cut your microwave and it to explosives, so it’s important we pay attention to these things,” Kennedy said.
The US Consul General, John Bray advised that everyone fighting this course should visit Stop.Think.Connect website to further strengthen awareness and get updated.
In conclusion, always be aware you never know who is behind the screen, so be protective of yourself and personal information.
