As the world becomes increasingly digital, people are accumulating more and more data, much of which is personal or sensitive and should not fall into the wrong hands.
Many individuals, as well as businesses, are not well prepared for the tricks that hackers use to extract data from their information systems or to deal with the fallout from such an occurrence.
“Even data you don’t consider to be sensitive, such as the names of your pets or children, could be used by hackers to figure out the passwords to your accounts,” says Peter French, Synapsys Systems MD.
“Yet despite how important your data is to you, you are the biggest risk for your own data. The human element is what is the easiest to attack and break through.”
Furthermore, the ransomware industry generated a billion dollars in the last year, with over a 2,500% increase in ransomware in 2017, and this is expected to grow as exponentially in 2018.
“Cybercrime is fuelling the cyber security market with complex cyber attacks and we are seeing a 3% growth in the market annually,” adds Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET Southern Africa.
However, French adds that if you take a responsible approach to your data, the chances of you being the victim of an attack are far, far less.
He offers the following 4 tips to protect your digital data:
1. You need more than mere perimeter security
Our homes and businesses often rely on perimeter security, such as electric fences and gates, but these offer little protection if you unwittingly invite a criminal into your home, French explains.
“Firewalls are a type of perimeter security, but what about when we introduce infected our devices into the environment ourselves? You need you ensure that you have additional security to protect you under those circumstances,” he says.
2. Invest in device and comms security
Software solutions, such as anti-spam, virus, malware, and phishing protection help to protect you against attacks that make it beyond your firewall.
3. Is your cloud data truly secure?
“You need to consider where your data is stored, and make sure that you are using trusted, compliant cloud providers,” French adds.
4. Educate yourself
At the end of the day, you are the weakest link, so you need to stay up to date on the types of attacks that are currently prevalent as well as ways to mitigate your risk.
To help consumers keep their data secure, ESET has launched its latest range of products for everyday consumers, designed to protect against the ever-expanding threats from the internet including data theft, malware and viruses.
These address consumer cyber concerns by offering the following:
- Best mix of detection, speed and usability
- Smart devices protection, web protection, better accessibility
- Skilled technical support in local language
- Educate the consumer on how to be cyber smart
For more information about ESET’s new products, visit the ESET website.
