Why You Need to Understand Cybercrime
Mar 22, 2022
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Over the years technology has evolved at a rapid pace. We’ve seen a huge development in smartphones, laptops, and tablets in a matter of years. Technology has made our lives much easier and much more convenient than it has ever been before.
Despite the convenience that this technology has brought to our lives, there are still some negatives that have come with it. The most important of these negatives is cybercrime, which has become more and more frequent in recent years.
You might be asking yourself: what is cybercrime? It’s incredibly important to know about cybercrime and understand how you can keep yourself safe from it. Keep reading if you want to know more about cybercrime.
What is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is when a hacker uses tactics or tools to get hold of your personal information, data, or even your login credentials. Cybercriminals can use this information to commit crimes against you such as identity theft or fraud.
Cybercrime has been on the rise in the past few years, which means that it is more important than ever to become aware of cybercrime and how to keep your devices secure against common cyberattacks.
The reason why cyberattacks have been on the rise is because of the fact that more and more people are starting to use devices in one form or another without being aware of the risks involved. In our modern society it has become essential for people to use a device, whether it’s for business or leisure. The worldwide lockdown has also contributed to the increase in cybercrime as more people spend time on their devices. Below you can find some of the most common tactics used by cybercriminals.
Email phishing
One of the most common methods that cybercriminals use to target their potential victims is phishing scams. Phishing involves sending fraudulent emails to victims urging them to interact with a link or attachment within the email. However, once the victim interacts with the link or attachment malicious software can be installed on their device, or they can be redirected to a website that has a keylogger installed on it. A keylogger is able to copy everything that the victim types into the webpage.
Online phishing
Phishing is not limited to emails though. Although emails have been a common method of using phishing scams, they could also be placed all around the internet. Cybercriminals are able to create websites that lure victims in. The hacker will place links all around the website, and once a link has been clicked malicious software will be installed on the victim’s device. Remember, links can be disguised as logos, text, images or even icons.
Malware
Malicious software, also known as malware, is one of the main tools that cybercriminals use to take advantage of you. Malware is a type of software that has been designed to cause damage to your device. The most common types of malware that you may come across are viruses, spyware and ransomware. We’ll cover these in more detail below.
The Development of Cybercrime
Over the years, hackers have had to adapt their tactics in order for them to keep succeeding in their cyberattacks. Cybersecurity companies and victims of cyberattacks have begun to catch on to their strategies.
Thus, they naturally began to improve their craft in order to continue with their crimes. They have done so in several different ways, however, the main way that cybercrime has evolved is that hackers have begun using social engineering to make their scams more believable.
Social engineering is especially helpful in phishing scams as the hackers are able to pose as a company that the victim might know and trust. For example, the hackers can send an email pretending to be your bank, or even an entertainment company such as Netflix. The victim won’t be suspicious as the phishing email will contain all the logos and color schemes of the company, making the email look legitimate.
The email will usually urge the victim to follow a link to update something on their profile. For example, a popular phishing scam at the moment is when victims receive an email from Netflix stating that they must update their billing information or risk having their account suspended. Following the link in the email takes the victim to a fake website that has been set up by the cybercriminal. The website will look identical to the normal Netflix website, however it will have a keylogger installed which will copy everything that you type and give it straight to the cybercriminal.
Malicious software has also evolved over the years. Gone are the days of simple viruses that send hundreds of popup ads to your device. Modern day viruses are much more dangerous and can delete your files or in some cases even destroy your entire operating system.
Spyware is used to keep track of your internet traffic which will allow hackers to gain access to your personal data and information, which is a violation of your privacy and also a huge security risk as it will allow hackers to send you more convincing phishing emails based on websites that you frequently visit.
Ransomware is the most dangerous form of malware that you might come across. A single ransomware attack can cause thousands of dollars of damage. Ransomware is able to encrypt your important files and accounts, which prevents you from opening or moving them. The only way to remove the encryption is to pay the ransom fee to the cybercriminals.
The Best Cybersecurity Tools
Keeping your devices secure is the key to preventing cyberattacks. There are two crucial cybersecurity tools you must have installed on your devices to ensure that they are properly protected from cybercrimes.
The first cybersecurity tool you need is premium antivirus software. Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses. If a virus is found on your device, the antivirus can take the necessary action to have it removed.
You must ensure that your antivirus software is always kept up to date otherwise you risk falling victim to a cyberattack. Software updates are often sent out to fix any flaws that have been discovered in the antivirus software. Updates will also sometimes add an extra layer of defence against any new tactics that have been developed by cybercriminals to bypass the antivirus software.
The other important cybersecurity tool you need to install on your device is a premium VPN. A VPN is able to mask your location and what you do online by encrypting your internet connection and connecting you to one of several global servers. This will prevent a cybercriminal from snooping through your data and pinpointing your location.
You must ensure that you use a premium VPN as opposed to a free one as these have several drawbacks that will be detrimental to your online privacy and security. Free VPNs often have slower connection speeds, daily data limits and a limited selection of global servers that you can choose to connect to.