How to Protect yourself against Cybercrime

 

Have you ever been a victim of cybercrime? Or did you think the only form of cybercrime you have to worry about is hackers stealing your financial information. There are more concerns than just basic financial ones, cybercrime continues to evolve, with new threats surfacing every year. Before jumping to how to protect your self from financial crime bla bla, let’s quickly brief on cybercrime 

what is Cybercrime  

Cybercrime is the most disruptive threats for financial markets but at the same price, is the most underrated by both regulators and financial institutions. Cyber attacks have already caused considerable damage to detail retail banking, mainly through credit card and payment scams.

Cybercrime involves computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it maybe a target.

How to protect yourself against cybercrime 

Here are some tips anyone using the internet can use to protect yourself against the range of cybercrime out there

1. Strong passwords 

Some of us have or like the habit of using same password on more than one sites, well thats a bad idea. Don't repeat your passwords to different sites and, change them regularly. Make them strong in the sense that you combine at least 8 letters, numbers and symbols. And you can use password manager apps to manage your passwords.

2. Keep your Software Updated 

This is mostly important with your operating systems and internet security software. After an operating system is been released, cyber criminals tries to study the system or software in other to find flaws or an opening to attack the system or gain access. Those flaws will make it easier for them to access your system therefore, the need for constant software update.

3. Manage your Social Media Setting.

Keep your personal and private information locked down, do not show too much private data on social media. Cyber criminals are smart and can unlock your personal information with just a few data. For instance, posting the name of your pet on Facebook or your maiden name will or might give cyber criminals an easy way to access your data because they are the most common security questions (one of). 

4. Strengthen your Home Work.

It is a good idea to use a Virtual Private Network. A VPN will encrypt all traffic leaving your devices until it arrives at its destination so that, even if cyber criminals manages to hack your communication line, they would get nothing but encrypted data.

5. It is also important to know that identity theft can happen anywhere so as to protect your identity anywhere.

6. If you believe you’ve become a victim of cybercrime, you need to alert the police or better still

- Contact the companies and banks where the frauds ( where you know or think) the fraud occurred.

- Place fault alert on any platform you can.

- Report identity theft to the NPF Police