The real impact
For the most part issues with Cybersecurity don’t affect your everyday life. There is the odd time it may mean that you can’t withdraw money from your bank whilst the problem is rectified. Just over a year ago flights were affected by baggage handling software at Heathrow Airport being hacked https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3drpgv33pxo. Most recently Jaguar Land Rover had a major cyber attack causing months of delays in car production and sales. The London Transport Network, Marks and Spencers Harrods were hacked, the list goes on and will continue to grow, but my point is for the most part you can carry on with your daily lives without disruption.
Due to the world we live in today the most prominent threats come from China and Russia who are continually trying to hack are networks in England. Cybersecurity is vital to protect against threats to our Government, Armed Forces, Banking Institutions, Stock Market as well as the hacks that I have already mentioned and many more. Here we have the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) which is the part of GCHQ to protect us against cyber threats. Obviously they can’t protect everyone but they do play a very important part in protecting our national interest.
There are many ways are Government and institutions use cybersecurity to protect themselves and they need protecting 24/7, the threats never stop. There are many attacks from all over the world and its rare these attacks make the news headlines, there are two main reasons 1. It happens all the time and does not affect our daily lives therefore it’s not reported as a news story, as the defences work. 2. There would little point in informing us all the time of yet another threat. If all cyber attacks were reported throughout England it would be just one long stream of reports ever single day and benefits no one, except perhaps the hackers.
These days Cybersecurity is your own responsibility as well, the mobile phone and broadband providers for example have their own Cybersecurity in place but you do have protect yourselves too. It doesn’t take much to improve your own personal online security and reduce your chances of being affected.
Basic tips
1. Run your updates, whether you are using IOS or Android software on your phone or tablet when you are on the move. Windows and MacOS will need to be updated too. I can’t remember any update and I’ve been updating for a long time that didn’t contain security updates of one sort or another.
2. Install malware protection if you don’t have it particularly on your computer. It is not safe to assume Microsoft and Apple as well as the broadband providers offer you total protection, they don’t.
3. Consider using a VPN which is a tunnel to the internet for your particular connection and not just an open user using a broadband connection. I could go into detail but that is not the purpose of this website, there are many search results you will find if you want to find out more details.
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4. If you are suspicious of an email especially with links don’t click on the links. If in doubt delete it, after all if it’s genuine they will contact you again they may ring you up or send you mail or email you again. If you don’t take the bait these particular scumbags are unlikely to bother your again. The way these scumbags work it by getting a huge list and block send there devious and underhanded links to get your information or extract money out of you one way or another. Then they move on to the next list, unfortunately these lists are distributed to all kinds of criminal organisations (collective scumbags) who will keep on sending out these dangerous links. The service providers seriously reduce the amount of these types of emails you receive, but they can’t block them all.
5. Social media also offer various threats much like the mail threats mentioned above and others. Please see my article on social media for more details.
6. Common sense, never underestimate it. I mention this is in nearly every article as it always applies. If your suspicious don’t proceed, if something sounds to be good to be true don’t proceed, if you are unsure ask don’t proceed. I’m sure you get the idea, but all too often people go ahead blindly and end up regretting it. Don’t be rushed, take your time and think before you act.
