According to statistics compiled by AV-Test Institute, there are around 400,000 new pieces of malware detected every single day. With this large pool of malicious software, it gives hackers an almost limitless opportunity to carry out their deeds. Unfortunately, the average users generally make the same mistakes, which are typically easy to exploit. Below you will find 8 of the mistakes that the average user is likely to mistake. Things you should be cognizant of, so you don’t fall victim to these hackers.
1. Using Any Flash Drive
It’s very important that the files on your system are backed up, however, you always want to be careful when putting a USB flash drive into your system. It is possible for hackers to infect these drives with malicious software, waiting for an unsuspected user to connect the drive to their system. The best advice I can give you is, if the device doesn’t belong to you, then it is best not to use it. Always scan any and all of your devices with antimalware and antivirus software. You don’t want your system to become infected and you don’t want to infect other systems also.
2. Lack of Education
It’s always important that every user of a system is educated in the software that is installed on it. They should have a firm understanding, at the very least, of email, downloads and attachments. They should also have some idea of the kind of threats that exist. It’s the uneducated users that are most likely to become victims of spyware, viruses and other kinds of attacks. All these attacks are ultimately, designed to steal confidential information and leak it to a third-party source or corrupt important files.
3. Leaving Webcam Open
As has been reported on many occasions, a webcam hack can be a very frightening violation of one’s privacy. There are many different kinds of malware, one of which is capable of giving a hacker remote access to a system, which they can then use to enable your webcam. Unfortunately, your systems webcam doesn’t receive the same kind of protection as other network-enabled devices on your system, so it’s up to you to be able to tell when your webcam is turned on and someone is potentially watching you. In most cases, your cam will have a light, which will turn on, when it’s active. Putting a piece of tape over your webcam, in most cases isn’t enough, as it doesn’t block your audio, so you’ll want to disable it altogether.
4. Ignoring Security Updates
There may be a substantial number of security holes or vulnerabilities in your operating system, right now. No application is without its faults. Once one of these exploits are found, hackers will immediately attempt to exploit it – this usually happens within a short period of time. For this reasons, it’s important you always have the latest security updates installed on your system.
5. Responding To Phishing Emails
Statistics compiled in Canada, found that around 80,000 users within the country fall victim to a phishing scam, per day. So, the next time you receive a phishing email. It may notify you that you’ve won the lottery, and that you need to “click here” to receive the money. Or it may state that it has a “shocking video” for you to see, if you only “click on the link” – you’ll want to immediately delete it. Email systems today come with spam filters as standard. These filters are designed to catch the vast majority of these phishing scams, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your due diligence. You want to check the sender of every email you receive. Look at the name and the email address, and make sure it was sent from a trusted source, before you click through to anything or download anything.
6. Using Public Wi-Fi
If you must connect to a public Wi-Fi, one thing you must never do, is access personal data. In the vast majority of cases, these networks lack security, and in more severe situations, hackers can use them to set traps. Hackers know that people expect to see a network, with a specific name, maybe [shop name] Wi-Fi, when they visit their local fast food restaurant. So they’ll create their own network within the same location, filled with malware, and just wait for an unsuspecting user to connect to it. The moment one of these users connects to the network, their personal affix are immediately stolen, such as passwords and other data. Want to check your tax return or pay a bill? Then I suggest you do it at home, where you’re safe.
7. Oversharing On Social Media
This new generation practically lives on these social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Facebook, as well as other programs like Viber, WhatsApp and other instant messaging programs/services.
Generations today, like to share almost everything about their lives on these services. This leaves them vulnerable, as anyone can intercept this information and use it for their own nefarious ends.
Additionally, hackers can take this information and sell it to marketers, and other cybercriminals, who will typically use this information when devising their own social engineering attacks, such as phishing scams/emails and other types of attacks that prey on the minds of the individual.
8. Disabling User Account Control (UAC) Features
The UAC or User Account Control feature can be quite intrusive, which is why some people opt to disable the tool altogether. They feel, they are better off without all the nagging notifications and pop up windows. However, these notifications have a purpose, and it’s an important one. They let the end user know when changes are being made to their system, and let the user make a decision on whether or not they want to block them, beforehand. If you decide to disable this tool, then you will be giving hacker’s free reign to do whatever they want to your system without prior warning. Since, they will be able to alter your operating system, without you knowing, which in turn could mean, remote access, and the stealing of confidential data.
—AUTHOR INFO—
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his own computer support website https://www.compuchenna.co.uk.