One of the biggest cyber-risk is to think they don’t exist, means ignoring the threats. Threats do exists and the biggest Cyber-attack risk these days are BANKING/CARDS. Your money is on internet and prone to be exposed to hackers. Wherever is Internet, Risk of hacking is present.

Additionally, when we carry smartphones enabled with location tracking services, loaded with so many apps which can access your contacts, SMS, location, Camera and microphone so nothing is private if your smartphone security is compromised. So another threat these days are from mobile apps, risk from chat apps, social websites and social profiles identity hacking if hackers can know everything about you and your activities, he may put unimaginable damages.

Computer Viruses are the past these days and Hackers invented various new tricks to hack your data, identity or passwords. Some are like Trojans, Spywares, Ransomeware, Adware etc. Hackers do lot of Social Engineering to Hack a Human…. Means putting Trojans like ransomeware to jam all files, computers and demanding money to unlock, simplest form can be just hacking social profiles FB etc and damage your identity, or get personal / family information which may trig any insane crime.

Phishing attacks mainly through spam emails are common to send misleading file to open, link to click, fake sites forms to fill in and steal critical data to know important passwords, critical data / access.

Spywares are installed to keep sitting in your desktop and mobile as hidden enemy agent and keep sending your activity to the person who may use it either ways. Adware learns your hobbies, shopping trends and keep serving you unneeded advertisements.

Hackers are hacking many computers and connecting them all in their hacked network to create a botnet, each hacked computer is called Zombie and so they have all these zombies as their slaves to get any unwanted program executed, any information to be stolen or spread etc.

We are hearing so many news these days all around regarding internet frauds, cheat and frauds through fake FB profiles, sexual abuse on social media etc and so we need to take precautions to stay Secure and to keep our personal and private world PROTECTED.

I am writing this article to help you take some basic precautions while using internet on your mobile and computers which will increase your security and decrease risks of being compromised.

BASIC PRECAUTIONS FOR CYBER SAFETY:

• Use of 2 step authentication: Many apps and websites like whatsapp, facebook, email providers have increased security features and provided 2 step authentication to secure your accounts with additional PIN, always enable and use this feature.
• Android Phone Users: Always keep “Allow installation of apps from unknown sources” OFF in your android phone settings > Security > Unknown sources.
• App store ID Protection:Always put strong passwords and keep changing it to keep your apple or google play store account secure, because if your phone is sync with your appstore account and someone steals your password, he may play with your phone data.
• Mobile Apps Permissions: Do not install unwanted apps and allow critical access like Location, SMS, Photo, Camera etc. Go to your Settings and find options for checking permissions of all apps installed and remove unwanted permissions for any app.
• Avoid using whatsapp on webf your PC is not private and secure, and logout when not required. Do not handover your phone to anyone unknown and sitting near laptop or PC as it would take him 30 seconds to setup your whatsapp on his laptop if your phone is unlocked and later he may keep reading all your whatsapp messages.
• Keep your wi-fi password stronger and make sure your wi-fi security Mode is set to WPK-2. Make restrict use of Free or Public Wi-fi, avoid private data & working through free wi-fi.
• Privacy of your Social profiles like Facebook: Go to settings and make sure none of your family, personal or such information which you do not want strangers to see, is Public. Make them Friends or Only me. Always check Audience Friends or Public while making posts. Check Tags and approve only authentic etc. Do not show Address, Birthday, Farther name, mother name etc crucial information Public or even to friends if its not needed, to avoid someone using this information to access your government id’s like Voterid, aadhar etc.
• Whatsapp Status update: Do not use Whatsapp Status feature to post your personal, private information because once you do that, always think that everyone even milk vendor, paper vendor or other contacts of unrelated persons which you have in your phonebook and they are on whatsapp, they all will see this status update which I am sure you would not encourage. Either keep such contacts in block list or just make limited use of status update feature and send one to one or group messages for personal status updates.

PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING HABITS:

• Set one day a week or a month to monitor your credit card statements if your card is compromised.
• Always sign-up with your banks for realtime alert on your account statements.
• Always keep your private information, private, do not share to anyone and keep on your mobile/PC in parts and with password protection.
• Do not trust unidentified emails, links and never trust links like “Click and win Iphone7”. Keep changing your passwords and PINs regularly with stronger ones. Do not always use same password for multiple services.
• Do not install unwanted, unidentified Apps and software.
• If any website asks any personal or banking or CC information, Always check is website is secure… look at URL https and a lock icon somewhere in address/taskbar.
• Please avoid giving mobile phones to kids, always keep firewall or use of FREE OPENDNS.org to restrict adult contents for them and keep strong supervision of what content on internet they access and do not encourage their social sites usage.
• Do not handover your ATM/Credit cards or ATM PIN / CVV etc to anyone else and always use Virtual keyboards while entering passwords in your internet banking portal.
• Read Cyber laws and make others aware, especially kids to teach them Internet Ethics, Do’s and don’ts.

In case of any event if you are facing any cyber-attack, fraud or attempt of fraud or any sort of cyber-crime, please approach POLIE to file a complaint, and also to concerned Financial / Banking authority or bank to report the fraud. If its banking fraud and you are not satisfied with Bank/Police action, you can approach RBI through
http://sachet.rbi.org.in.

Hope this helps to keep your e-World Safe!

Thanking you,
Shri Pal Singh