Strengthen your Cyber Security

We are now living in the digital age, where everything is associated with the internet. We spend most of our time online and it’s where most of us do and boost our businesses. There are a lot of important information stored in the World Wide Web, from personal bank accounts to government data, just not released for the eyes of the public.

But recently, there has been a series of cyber security breaches from left to right. From $81M bank heist last February, the hacking of the COMELEC website last April, to ISIS cyber threats this May. Cybercrime is as important as any other crimes done in the nation.

Many hackers lurk in the depths of the internet. Some doing petty pranks like trolling other people just for “fun”, some steal credentials from other people,  but some even go as far as to breach major corporations, banks, infrastructure facilities and even military installations. [1]

Because of the rising number of cybercrime cases in the country, corporations tightened their cyber security. One of these corporations is Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). BSP ordered banks to step up their cybercrime prevention programs just this 18th of May. [2]

But, how can one prevent cybercrime?

1. Stay safe on social media

• Don’t share every single detail you have in your life, keep private things private; like your email address, bank details, personal information (personal phone number)

1. Exercise caution when shopping online

• Only buy from trusted online shops (like Lazada and Zalora), do your research and always check other customer’s feedback on the shop.

1. Activate your firewall settings

• Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware software products will protect your computer from different kinds of malware, viruses and other malicious software that aim to obtain your personal information.

1. Back your files up

• Make regular back-ups for all of your important data like financial records and store them in a different location

And for businesses, educate and let your employees be aware about cybercrimes and security. Invest on web applications that scan malware and business-class anti-virus software. [3]

Sources:

Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network. Protect and Prevent. Retrieved from http://www.acorn.gov.au/protection-prevention/.

Linington, D. Top 8 tips to prevent cybercrime. Spiceworks. Retrieved from http://www.spiceworks.com/marketing/top-8-tips-prevent-cybercrime/.

Vishwanath, A. (2016, May 2). Why we need a cyber wall. CNN. Retrieved from  http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/02/opinions/build-cyber-wall-vishwanath/index.html.

Agcaoili, L. (2016, May 18). BSP to banks: Toughen up vs cybercrime. Philippine Star. Retrieved from  http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/05/18/1584183/bsp-banks-toughen-vs-cyber-crime.

Newtek. (2013, August 28). How to Prevent Cybercrime. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/thesba/2013/08/28/how-to-prevent-cyber-crime/#7dc46205218b.