The most obvious, known, well-accepted fact is that we live, rather living in a digital era. We are surrounded by computers, tablets, mobile phones and many many more connecting-interconnecting networks and devices. We are so much dependent on these devices and other network facilitators that we cannot imagine our life without them. We have adopted Google as our ‘Great Guru’ and Facebook, Instagram, Watsapp, Snapchat, etc. as our ‘Fab Friend.’
What remains left out is our Safety and Security. When we talk about safety, it does not only mean safety against mental and physical harm. Online safety is also as important as mental and physical protection. Not to forget, we are prone to cyber-attacks and there is an increased chance of one, no matter who you are, where you are. For instance, the recent WannaCry Ransomware attack. It is considered to be one of the biggest cyberattacks in history. This attack majorly hit businesses and large government organizations such as hospitals in UK, FedEx, and the Russian Interior Ministry, among others.
These attacks cannot be stopped. They would happen again. What we can do to prevent such attacks from affecting us? The key is to take precautions to protect ourselves and our system from becoming victims of such attacks. Here are few precautions which can be taken for safeguarding our system. :
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- Create Strong Passwords: Passwords should be really strong. Passwords should be set in such a way that it should not be easy to guess it. It should be a mix of alphabets, special characters, numbers, etc. Do not use your birth dates, phone numbers, names, etc. as your passwords as they appear to be very easy to guessed. Also, do not reveal your password to anyone. This could turn out to be dangerous.
- Install and maintain updated anti-virus: Another important measure is to have anti-virus in your system. Once you have it the task does not get over. Keep updating it on regular intervals as and when needed.
- Regular Updation of System: Regular updation of your system is very important to protect your system. This enables safety of your system. Make this a habit to avoid any malware from harming your valuable information.
- Regular Backups: The risk of being attacked anytime always prevails. Hence, the best option is to maintain regular backups. Create and maintain backup copies of all important business date, financial information and all other important documents. This would save you incase of any cyberattack and prevent from loss of data. Also, it is advisable to maintain backup on a separate device.
- Act Wisely: Another crucial point is to act wisely by not opening any links or e-mail attachments which seem to be suspicious, unfamiliar, sent by unknown person, containing unfamiliar file extension names, etc. Do not open links or apps that appear to be unacquainted.
Cyber-attacks are meant to happen in future. There will be cyber threats. The only way out is to act wisely and your smartness can help protect from unwanted, unrecognized malware attacks.
