Do you think you are safe from cyberattacks? A lot of people are under this misconception because they think that hackers usually go for the ‘big fish’. They could not be more wrong. These days, even big businesses are not safe from such attacks and the same is applicable to individuals. While these attacks should never happen to anyone, there are certain reasons why people and businesses become the target and have to deal with the consequences of cyberattacks. Below, you will find the topmost reasons why you may end up being a target of cyberattacks:

You rely on default security software

In the case of cybersecurity, it is better to prevent an attack instead of depending on a recovery system. Prevention is less costly whereas in recovery the damage is already done. The problem is that most people depend on the default security software in their devices to be adequate enough to deal with cyberattacks. This is a mistake because the default security software doesn’t have the capability of detecting most threats. You need to install a strong firewall, use a virtual private network when browsing the internet and use a strong antivirus software.

You don’t use strong passwords

Software and devices often have default passwords and these are easy to guess. In fact, most devices have similar passwords, which means even hackers are familiar with them. This is one of the major reasons why it is recommended that people use strong passwords. This means your password needs to be a long one and contain a mixture of numbers, upper and lowercase letters and symbols. If you have trouble remembering them, a password manager can be used.

You ignore updates

It is a fact that most people ignore software updates because they come at inopportune times and often affect the performance of your device. Therefore, most people put them off for later. These updates are designed to address any security vulnerabilities and ignoring them provides hackers easy accessibility through these loopholes. Once they find out that you don’t have an updated version of the product, they will exploit the vulnerability. Thus, even though they are untimely, you should always install updates and you can also turn on auto-updates to save yourself from the hassle of installing manually.

You open random links

One of the most common security tip you will find everywhere is not to click on random links. If it is too good to be true, then it definitely is. Clicking on links means you are opening yourself up to a phishing scam in which psychological tactics and social engineering is used. Targets are prompted to open random links that may be malicious and attempt to steal information or even cryptojack your entire network. You can find out about the different advanced phishing scams at https://nerdrandom.com/ and how to not be a victim to them.

Avoid these practices on a regular basis and you will be able to minimize your chances of being a target of cyberattacks.

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