The topic of cybersecurity is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide due to the number of companies that cyber-attacks have hit in the last few years. Social security numbers and other sensitive data were stolen in the Equifax hack, which affected over 145 million people.
Despite the technological advancements in the past few years, we remain at risk of having our digital data stolen and manipulated. However, being in the digital age is not as frightening as it sounds.
In addition to having a good understanding of how your device works, you should also learn cybersecurity basics. This will allow you to protect yourself and your company from various threats.
VPN
This tool encrypts traffic and masks the user’s location so they can remain anonymous on the internet.
IPN
Your computer’s internet version is known as its home address, typically displayed when it connects to a network.
Exploit
An exploit infects a computer with a malicious application or script.
Breach
Once a hacker successfully exploits a vulnerability, they can access a computer’s files and network.
Firewall
Defend yourself from bad guys with this defensive technology. It is possible to have a hardware firewall or a software firewall.
Malware
Malware is an umbrella term that refers to various types of harmful software that can affect a computer. Some of these include viruses and ransomware.
Virus
Viruses are designed to modify, corrupt, or wipe information on a computer before it can spread to other people.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware designed to prevent a user from accessing their computer’s files. It typically demands a ransom to get the files decrypted.
Bot
An attacker can take over a computer through a command-and-control system typically performed through a software application or script. This type of attack is referred to as a botnet.
Rootkit
A type of malware known as a rootkit is another attack that allows hackers to take over a computer. Since it’s hard to detect, this type of malware could remain on a computer for a long time.
Phishing
Criminals use a variety of techniques to trick people into providing their personal or sensitive data to them. For instance, they can send out email messages designed to trick people into entering their bank account information.