• Company
    • CyberQ Group Story
    • News
  • Cyber Services
    • Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC)
    • Continuous Breach Detection Service
    • Human Reconnaissance
    • Cloud Security
    • Consultancy Services
CyberQ Group
  • What’s New In Cyber
  • Contact
  • Company
    • CyberQ Group Story
    • News
  • Cyber Services
    • Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC)
    • Continuous Breach Detection Service
    • Human Reconnaissance
    • Cloud Security
    • Consultancy Services
  • What’s New In Cyber
  • Contact

Not only are businesses at risk of cyberattacks, but individuals are too!

What’s New In Cyber28/10/2020 3 minutes

Shigraf Aijaz

Content Creator
Shigraf is an experienced cybersecurity journalist and is zealous of spreading knowledge regarding cyber and internet security. She has extensive knowledge in writing insightful topics for which she carries on vast and in-depth research. A creative and passionate writer, she aspires to create exemplary eye-catching content that stands out in the market.

Cybersecurity issues have risen to become a day-to-day struggle for the masses. While businesses and organisations have started to look closely into the matter, personal cybersecurity is neglected.

Cyber breach statistics are rising at an alarming rate, and the numbers alone are nothing less than shocking! In 2017 alone, around 17 million UK residents were victims of cybercrime, and the criminals had stolen £130 billion.

As our lives continue to revolve around using the internet in every aspect, cybercriminals are coming up with detrimental methods to intrude in our personal, daily, and professional lives.

A thorough dive into the dark web reveals just how much of our personal information is exposed online, just sitting there ready for anyone with the right means to exploit it. As our threat intelligence analysts dugout, a lot of personal data is readily available on the Dark web such as:

  1. Credit Card details
  2. Bank account details
  3. Phone numbers
  4. Social security numbers
  5. ATM pin
  6. Driver’s license details
  7. Email accounts and passwords
  8. Address

This information’s availability is primarily due to the apparent lack of attention individuals have towards personal cybersecurity. There are several types of cyberattacks people fall target to, such as:

Phishing scams

These scams consist of bogus emails, phone calls, or text messages that dupe a person to reveal personal information. Phishing scams are designed to look legitimate, which allows them to find targets quickly. According to the Verizon Data Breach Report, one-third of all data breaches involve a phishing attack.

Credit Card Scams

A credit card scam is when a fraudster uses credit card information to buy unauthorised purchases or take out cash advances. These scams occur through insecure online shopping, specifically through fraudulent sites. The stolen credit card information is then found on sale on the dark web where criminals can buy them.

Identity Theft

Another prevalent kind of cyber attacks, identity theft, is when a fraudster steals someone’s identity based on the personal information available for financial gain. According to statistics, 1 in 15 people become victims of identity theft. This theft is ever more common due to large amounts of personal information made available on the internet and unsecured internet connections.

Victims Through Social Media

Social media platforms are although deemed secure through a plethora of “privacy settings’ ‘however, a recent study from Stratecast states that 22% of their users have fallen victim to security-related incidents. Social media accounts have all types of information on a person. These accounts are often compromised by large-scale attacks such as the twitter hack or criminal exploits of these accounts by stealing authentication credentials.

Healthy ways to cybersecurity

Since using the internet is a core part of our lives, we can’t get up and start abandoning it. Therefore several methods can be used to ensure cybersecurity such as:

  1. Strong passwords: As most accounts are breached due to weak passwords, it is best to secure all accounts through strong passwords. These passwords should also be changed after every 2-3 months, and it’s best to not share them with anyone or repeat them.
  2. Enable two-factor authentication: Multifactor authentication is another way to showcase privacy. As it features additional authentication through either a biometric method or by receiving a personalised code on text/email, MFA ultimately reduces data theft chances.
  3. Use a VPN: Virtual Private Networks are software designed to provide online anonymity and security. A VPN connection anonymises users by changing the IP address and rerouting the data through a remote server that changes location. Along with that, VPNs further carry data into encrypted packets, efficiently hiding all the information from any prying eyes.
  4. Learn to spot a phishing attack: Phishing is one of the most popular cyberattacks, and the best way against it is human intelligence. Educate yourself and the people around how to spot a phishing attack and learn to steer clear. Also, as these attacks rely on duping and conveying false information, it is best to stay vigilant and not believe everything you see online unless it is from a reputable source.
  5. Share less on social media: Although social accounts can be secured through passwords and various settings, it is still smart not to share too much information. You never know when the whole server database faces a compromise like that with Twitter, and you become a victim, so it’s best to maintain strict privacy online.

Parting Words

Cybersecurity is a grave issue which is requiring immediate attention. Cybercriminals are always on alert to find an unsuspecting victim to exploit, and with the internet having dark places such as the Dark Web, falling victim to cyber-attacks can prove to be a significant loss. Therefore, despite what you use the internet for its best to be vigilant at all times and maintain good cybersecurity hygiene.

Cyber Resilient Cyber Security

Monthly Catch Up

Leave your comment Cancel Reply

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Next Story Why is domain Squatting a Problem and what to do about it?

CATEGORIES

  • News (24)
  • What’s New In Cyber (9)

tags

Cyber ResilientCyber Security
CyberQ Group Logo White

Award Winning AI and Automated Cyber Security Services.

We Make Your Business Cyber Resilient

Get in touch

UK Office
CyberQ Group 4th Floor, Colmore Gate,
2-6 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2QD​

Company Number: 10507340
Tel: 0800 0614 725

Quick Links

  • Consultancy Services
  • Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC)
  • Cloud Security
  • Continuous Breach Detection Service
  • Human Reconnaissance
  • Company
  • News
  • What’s New In Cyber
  • Contact

Copyright © 2020 CyberQ Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy  |  Terms of service

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can customise, opt-out or accept them as they are. Customise CookiesACCEPT
Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT