The Importance of Cyber-Security
The internet is one of our greatest achievements in recent years. You can use the internet for entertainment, knowledge, ordering food, and even filing your taxes. However, with a tool as powerful as the internet, there are destined to be people to abuse it for malicious intent. Today, I will be talking about cyber-security and some ways to protect yourself on the internet.
Safety and Security
Although there are many websites that you can choose to visit, not all of them are secure. How can you tell if a website is safe or not?
“A way to check if a website is secure is to make sure the URL has no spelling errors,” says Riley computer science teacher, Ms. Haubold. She also mentioned that if the URL has errors such as missing or extra letters, it could be malicious, before adding: “A lot of the time, dangerous websites will have multiple pop-up ads.”
If a website has lots of pop-up ads, they are most likely trying to steal your information, so beware.
Viruses and Malware
Additionally, there are many applications you can download when it comes to the vastness of the internet. Although a plentitude of what you can download is helpful, such as ad-blockers and antiviruses, many of them can hold malware, such as viruses, spyware, trojans, and much more that can potentially harm your device.
Even though malware is common, there are many ways to stay safe from it. “A lot of malware will request you to make changes to your device,” says Ms. Haubold. As simple as it sounds, do not click on any download links that you are unsure of its contents. This could easily give people with malicious intent access to your information.
Social Media
If you have a social media account, protecting your personal information is a necessity. However, how are some ways to do so?
“On a public profile, never give out your full name and the name of your school,” advises Ms. Haubold. If you want to post any personal information, make sure you do so on a private account.
“First off, immediately try changing your password,” Ms. Haubold adds. This will log the intruder out of your account and not allow them back in. If you do this, and the intruder somehow gets back into your account, contact the support team of whatever social media you’re using.
Through all of these questions I’ve answered, you should have your cyber-security better protected. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email me.
