Technology has become a staple in our modern society and it’s easy to see why that is the case. With smart devices being able to do just about anything you can imagine, it’s nearly impossible to find someone that does not have access to a smartphone, laptop, or tablet in 2022.
These devices are fantastic and have brought a ton of convenience to our lives. From instantly messaging someone in another country to watching your favorite movies and TV shows at the touch of a button, there’s no doubt that technology has made our society faster and easier than ever before.
However, this amazing technology comes at a cost. Many people are unaware of the dangers that they face when they turn on their laptops or connect their smartphones to a public WiFi hotspot. In this day and age, cybercrime is more common than ever, and we need to be extremely careful not to fall victim to the traps that cybercriminals set out for unsuspecting victims.
Why Cybercrime is Becoming More Frequent
Ever since the start of the internet age, a new form of crime has developed — cybercrime. Many people overlook this form of crime because it’s mostly used to target devices and computer systems. People believe that cybercriminals can’t do too much damage to their lives, but this is simply not true.
Some of the most dangerous crimes have been committed in cyberspace. From identity theft to stealing millions of dollars from bank accounts, cybercrime has a real effect on its victims, and it should never be taken lightly. This form of digital crime can take down a nation’s defense systems, too.
Cybercrime has been a part of the modern world for decades now, but it’s becoming more frequent than ever before. There’s a good reason as to why that is the case too, and it’s mostly got to do with how the world has changed in a short space of time the past few years. We now live in a digitally transformed world.
One of the main reasons why there has been such a massive spike in cybercrime is because there are billions of people who own devices. Many people are new to owning a device of some sort, so they are often unaware of the dangers that cybercrime poses to their lives. More and more people are becoming owners of a technological device whether it’s a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
The other reason why cybercrime has become so much more common is as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the world going into lockdown, many people started spending much more time at home. Being unable to leave their homes, we saw a massive increase in screen time as people had to keep themselves entertained while they were stuck at home. On top of that, many people also had to start working remotely from home, making use of their devices from the comfort of their own homes.
Both of these factors have contributed to a massive spike in screen time. With more and more people spending time on their devices, more opportunities have been created for cybercriminals to target their victims with successful cyberattacks.
The Most Common Forms of Cybercrime
There are many different forms of cybercrime that you could encounter while you’re spending time on your device. However, there are a few strategies that stand out above the rest. Cybercriminals often use these as they are more effective and can do a ton of damage.
The main form of cybercrime that you will come across is malicious software, also known as malware for short. Malware is a type of software that has been designed to cause damage to your devices, and it can appear in many different forms.
The most common forms of malware that you may encounter are viruses, spyware, and ransomware. All of these are dangerous and you should take immediate action if you notice your device acting strangely. This can include freezing, slower loading times, overheating, and even files appearing or disappearing from your device.
Malware can be installed on your device in a couple of different ways, but the most common is through phishing — which happens to be yet another common form of cybercrime. Phishing has been around for many years, but it has become far more frequent in recent years and it also has a much better chance of succeeding.
Phishing in its most basic form is when the cybercriminal sends a fraudulent email to their victim urging them to interact with a link or attachment. Once the victim clicks on an attachment, malware can be installed on their device. Clicking on a link can either install malware on the victim’s device, or it can send the victim to a fake website that has a keylogger installed on it.
A keylogger will copy everything that you type into a website and give it straight to the cybercriminal. This is how a hacker is able to steal your login credentials or banking details.
Phishing scams have become much more successful because cybercriminals will pretend to be a person or a company that you might know and trust, making it more likely that you will interact with them.
How to Keep Your Device Secure
In this modern age, we need to ensure that our devices are as secure as possible if we want to ensure that all of our personal information remains safe. If you don’t want to deal with identity theft, breached bank accounts, or hacked email accounts you must use premium cybersecurity tools on your device.
You need to make sure to use premium antivirus software on your device. Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses, and if it has found any, it can take action to remove them from your device. It’s always a good idea to look for a premium antivirus that scans links and emails to see if they are legitimate.
You also need to ensure that your device and all of the applications on it are kept up to date. Software updates are often sent out by developers to fix any flaws that have been picked up in the system. Software updates are often also used to add extra security features for added protection against cybercriminals.
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