Cyber Crime: Question Of Security In The Internet
What defenses do average users have against cybercrime? The public knows far too little about how to protect themselves from internet fraud or scams, and people know too little when it comes to staying safe online. Technology is everywhere, and unless the public becomes educated on how to safely use technology more and more people will fall victim to internet scams. There will always be people to exploit flaws and vulnerabilities in computer systems, which includes computers, mobile phones, websites, banks, and anything else that could store important information on it. Sooner or later, the public will need to change the ways that they use technology for the better.
It all starts within your own personal computer (PC). This could be your desktop, laptop, or even tablet. If you're not protected on your own PC, then you won't be able to do anything on it without the risk of a hacker getting a hold of your personal information. From the first day that you get your PC to the day that it stops working, you should have an anti-virus scanner installed on your system. An anti-virus scanner will scan your computer for virus's and then remove any virus's that it finds. However, you will only want a single anti-virus scanner on your computer at a time. When you have multiple scanners on your computer at a time, they don't get along well. One anti-virus scanner may falsely detect another scanner as a virus, and will then delete it. Anti-virus software will not protect you against every threat, but it's better than nothing.
Included with most operating systems is a firewall. A firewall is a barrier protecting you from destructive information that comes from the internet. Luckily for those who are a novice at using computers, firewalls run in the background without a user needing to do anything with it. Metaphorically, a firewall, as the name says, is a wall that keeps a fire from spreading to another area. When it comes to computers, a firewall is just a program that filters all of the information coming from your internet connection into your network or computer system. The firewall looks for malevolent information coming in from the internet and disallows it from passing through. This means that most of the information that has the capabilities of doing harm to the computer or network can't get through. Firewalls prove to be a major defense when it comes to cybercrime.
Another main issue when it comes to average users protecting themselves from ignoble hackers would be education. Many users have not been properly educated to stay safe on the internet. Not everything online is true, and you have to be cautious about what you believe. There are countless people trying to trick you online, and you have to know how to stay away from falling into a trap. A good defense for the average user would be to educate themselves. Take lessons on safe internet usage or read a book that will teach you the rules of the internet, because you never know who's luring you into their trap.
