How to become cyber-smart in everyday life

The recent denial-of-service attacks against Swedish authorities have once again highlighted the importance of cybersecurity. But it's not just authorities that are under threat; private individuals also need to become more cyber-smart in their everyday lives. Applia explains the concepts and gives you concrete security tips.

Common sense often leads us to act safely in our everyday lives. We keep an eye on our bags, we stay away from certain streets in the evenings and nights, and we lock our doors. In the same way, it is now high time to use more common sense in our digital lives. This is according to Chanelle Kero, cybersecurity specialist at Omegapoint.

– We must be prepared that our increased use of the internet also entails a lot of risks. Cybercriminals want to steal our information, commit fraud and blackmail us in various ways. All to make money from our mistakes. And yes, unfortunately it will happen to most of us, but we can, by acting safely, put up a strong resistance, says Chanelle Kero.

Phishing, ransomware, and password attacks are some examples of cyberattacks that criminals engage in. But it is possible to completely or partially avoid falling into the trap.

“Most often, you need to click on a link, open an attachment, provide sensitive information or have a weak password for the attack to succeed. By being cyber-smart, you can therefore prevent criminals from accessing sensitive information such as credit card numbers or passwords,” continues Chanelle Kero.

Strong and different passwords on your accounts is a tip from Chanelle to prevent attacks. Two-factor authentication is also a security feature that can usually be turned on on a login account, which increases security even further.

– One of the most important tips is to always be suspicious before clicking on links or attachments. Ask yourself if you expect such an email, call or text message from the sender. Is the language correctly formulated and does the email address or links look credible? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, says Chanelle Kero.

By always updating your software to the latest version and using firewall and antivirus software you are covering up additional security risks in your digital everyday life.

– If you also surf safely, that is, never engage in banking or similar activities on open or unknown networks and only do these on secure websites, you will have come a long way towards avoiding the traps of cybercriminals, concludes Chanelle.

This means the concepts:

Net fishing means that cybercriminals (usually) send out emails with the intention of stealing sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers, for example by asking you to click on a link and fill out a form. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and phishing emails can look very real as the senders impersonate real people or companies and the links at first glance look like they go to the right place. It's easy to make a good-looking scam email. So be aware.

Ransomware, or ransomware, is a form of malicious software that aims to encrypt your information and demand money in exchange for it to be opened again. Just like phishing, a link or attachment in an email is often used to spread the malicious software. The result is that you suddenly no longer have access to your information.

Password attacks, is carried out to access your passwords that are linked to your accounts. Today, there are sophisticated programs for these attacks and if the password is weak, it can be cracked in a matter of seconds.

The above are some examples of cyber attacks, but for it to be a successful attack, you first need to click on the link/attachment, provide sensitive information or have weak passwords. That is, it is possible to fully or partially avoid falling into the trap by being cybersmart.

Immerse yourself in Chanel's tips!

Always be suspicious and think before clicking on links or attachments.

Did you expect this email?
Does it sound plausible, or is it perhaps too good to be true?
Is the sender stressing you to act immediately?
How is the language and wording?
Be a detective and double-check the email address and links.

Back up your information

Sometimes a computer can break, or in the worst case you can be hit by ransomware. Make sure you have copies of the information you are particularly worried about. For example, by copying them onto an external hard drive or "up in the cloud".

Use strong passwords

It only takes a few seconds to crack a weak password. The most important thing is to choose a password with as many characters as you can remember. Ideally, use at least 20 characters.
You can create long passwords, for example, by choosing a lyric from a song, but skipping a few words here and there. Ex: Morsolleskogengick!21 eOr write your favorite things in a row, like: Guitar Dog Sea!21
Also, don't use the same password on all your accounts. It's especially important to have different passwords for your personal and work accounts. Also, avoid personal passwords such as your name, children's names, addresses, or date of birth. Use a password manager to save your passwords.

Use multi/two-factor authentication (MFA/2FA)

Make it harder for cybercriminals to take over your accounts by activating MFA/2FA on your sensitive accounts. This means that in addition to your password and email, you also need, for example, a one-time code sent to your phone or email to access the account.
Enable this on all your important and most sensitive accounts, such as email and social media. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. all have this functionality but it must be enabled. You can easily do this via the security settings.

Surf the internet safely

It's easy to set up a network and name it almost exactly the same as the hotel's or café's. When you then connect and start browsing, the network owner can see everything you have up your sleeve.
Never do banking, logins or internet purchases via a network you are not familiar with.
If possible, use your mobile's internet connection instead when you need to send sensitive emails, for example.
It is easy to place malicious code on regular websites and in regular advertisements.
Never click on ads that promise free money, prizes, or discounts.
If you are making a payment over the Internet, make sure it is made through a secure website. Make sure the ”s” in https:// instead of http:// and that there is a padlock icon to the left of the address bar. This means that your information is encrypted when it is transmitted.

Keep applications and software up to date

Update immediately when a new update becomes available!
An important reason why new updates are constantly released is security fixes, i.e. what closes newly discovered security holes that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Use firewall and antivirus software

These days, you usually have a firewall and antivirus available on your computer. Make sure they are enabled.

APPLiAnytt