You are the Target

Problem:

Many people in the organization mistakenly believe they are not a target and their information or computer has no value. However, our personal information and our computer have tremendous value. In fact, you are one of the cyber criminal’s primary targets.

Cyber criminals are out to make money -- their goal is to make as much money as possible as fast as possible. Cyber criminals will often attempt to not only steal your personal information, but will try to hack you to get into your organization. If you have an email address, bank account, or computer or mobile device connected to the Internet, you can be attacked. Attackers achieve this by using highly sophisticated tools that fully automate the process of hacking. For example, cyber criminals can scan every computer and mobile device connected to the Internet, and, if they find any system vulnerable, they will automatically hack into it.

Once you've been attacked, cyber criminals can do a lot of damage, including: 

• Encrypt all the data on your computer and demand money to decrypt it
• Access your sensitive data
• Shop with or transfer your money or online resources
• Use your computer to send spam, host and distribute illegal content or launch attacks on other people’s computers
• Reset access to your other online profiles and accounts or create new ones in your identity Stolen usernames, passwords and personal details are also sold on underground markets to other Cyber criminals who can then also do all the above

Protecting Yourself:

By following some simple steps we can go a long way towards protecting ourselves. Some steps we recommend include the following:

Yourself: Ultimately, you are the first line of defense against any cyber attackers. Many attacks begin with a cybercriminal trying to trick or fool you, such as tricking you into opening an infected email attachment or fooling you into giving up your password over the phone. Common sense is your best defense: if something seems odd, suspicious or too good to be true, it is most likely an attack.

Updating: Make sure that any computer or mobile device you use is fully updated and has all the latest patches. This is not only important for your operating system, but for any applications or plugins you are using. By always keeping your systems and applications updated you help protect yourself against the most common attacks.

Passwords: Use a strong, unique password for each of your accounts. Strictly follow Password Policy i.e. complex password with minimum 8 characters.

Your Network: Secure your home network Wi-Fi access point with a strong administrator password and ensure your Wi-Fi network requires a password for anyone to join it.

Social Media: The more Information you post online the more likely you may put yourself at risk. Not only can any information you post make it easier for cyber criminals to target and fool or trick you, but any information you post may actually identify you as a more valuable target.

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