The internet is an interesting place, with many people making their livelihoods directly online or requiring it for their research and other informative purposes, not to mention those of us who enjoy scrolling and watching entertaining videos online. With so much happening on a global scale, how do you ensure that you stay safe and secure? This article aims to shed some light on how scams are currently being undertaken and what you can do on your end to keep your personal information private and your loved ones safe – from email scams that could be detrimental to CSPM tools that safeguard your data in the cloud, let’s dive in.
Email Scams are Ramping Up
You all know the traditional spam-type emails, promising either a win of some sort or an inheritance that you’ll miss out on if you don’t respond post-haste. Those are the ones that your email provider can recognize and send to the spam folder immediately. However scammers are getting smarter and smarter, now using the ruse of being government officials with very legitimate reasons for reaching out to you.
Phishing emails are sent out by scammers under the disguise of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and claim that your account has been compromised or needs verification, prompting you to take action fast. These emails typically include links to fake websites designed to look like official SSA pages. Please make sure that you check every detail of the email as there are oftentimes dead giveaways in the smallest of details. Signs to look out for are generic greetings like “Dear User” instead of your actual name, poor grammar or spelling mistakes, and urgent language telling you to take immediate action.
If anyone puts pressure on you to make changes to your passwords or even send money, that’s a huge red flag right there. Never click on any links right away, rather hover over the link to check the URL before clicking. Some experts even advise not using the same browser for everything, mainly to resolve privacy issues and avoid security attacks.
Securing Your Cloud
The cloud sounds like something foreign from a movie, especially to older internet users who struggle to see the risk of the online sphere. In essence, the cloud is a place for you to store data, pics and files outside of your device storage, which is incredibly helpful. However, as with most things in life, there is a darker side here too. How can you be sure that your valuable data will be stored correctly and then protected accordingly? This is where services like CSPM come in.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
Now you are probably asking yourself What is CSPM?, a question that many ask. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is like having your own security guard for your cloud environment: picture your very own doorman checking IDs outside of a club, in this case your data is the club. CSPM is continuously on the lookout for misconfiguration issues and compliance risks that might be lurking in your cloud setup, in other words is there something that could create a loophole for scammers and hackers to enter through?
The whole thing becomes even more complicated when businesses connect their servers and widely adopt public and multi-cloud services, which is currently the case, resulting in increased security risks and possible breaches. CSPM tools ease that burden by automatically detecting and addressing misconfigurations across cloud assets. CSPM software is getting better and better at spotting discrepancies and notifying users immediately. Also, CSPM solutions are tailor-made and perfectly suited to solve problems like slow manual processes that can take a lot of your team’s valuable time; they do this by automating security workflows and promptly detecting risks with minimal human effort.
Furthermore, and this is specifically relevant for organizations that are expanding their cloud usage and have had trouble gaining a view of the entire landscape on account of siloed solutions, CSPM software provides a comprehensive inventory and risk assessment for all cloud assets, including IaaS, PaaS, hosts, containers, vulnerabilities and identities – keeping you up to date every step of the way.
VPNs Keeping You Safe in the Public Domain
The majority of people online today know what a VPN is, namely a virtual private network that offers users protection by encrypting their data and masking their IP addresses. What a VPN does incredibly well is hide your browsing activity, identity and location. It seems like such a mundane thing that people do at almost every coffee shop they visit – they ask for the Wi-Fi code, right? You’ve done it, everyone has. It doesn’t seem weird to do so, quite the opposite actually. But there are reasons why you should never use public Wi-Fi without a VPN.
The most noteworthy disadvantage of connecting to a public Wi-Fi without VPN protection is the lack of an additional encryption layer. This means that all traffic between your device and the network is unsecured, allowing intermediaries to access this traffic. Then there are threat actors to consider, who can intercept personal information that you send and receive via the network, potentially manipulating it to involve you in problematic activities such as fraudulent traffic and scamming. Normally people don’t think this way, so it’s important for you to think outside of the box, even if it’s a little scary to do so.
Changing Your Passwords and Using Default Router Passwords
Changing one’s passwords regularly seems mundane and silly, but it’s probably one of the best and quickest ways to avoid any type of hacking. Also try to avoid Wi-Fi networks that are public, as stated above, because you’d be surprised at how much info can be garnered about you when you simply log in to the Wi-Fi to check your mails at a cafe.
Please ensure that you change your passwords regularly and don’t use default router passwords either, primarily due to the possibility of data theft, unauthorized access and malware attacks. The default router password is the built-in admin panel credentials that you get with your router. Because router manufacturers produce thousands of devices every day, many do not go to the extent of setting up a unique username-password combination for each device, which can become a huge problem. Make sure that you change the password to something complicated, using a password manager if need be, as soon as you unpack and plug it in.
Final Thoughts on Internet Safety
Remember that there’s nothing wrong with doing your homework and letting people wait a little while you verify any and all information. This could actually be a good move on your part because in the event that it is a scammer or hacker, they’ll move on quite quickly and lose interest. Rather safe than sorry, as the saying goes.
If you are looking to keep your company safe, in other words it’s no longer a personal or individual issue and many could be affected, then CSPM solutions could be very beneficial, not least because of the enhanced security, improved compliance and streamlining of operations they offer. Please be aware of what’s happening around you because the onus is ultimately on you. Scammers and hackers are everywhere, and if you don’t leave a window open for them, your home can and should stay safe, even as you expand and grow.
