How can we save ourselves from the threat to our security?

We all take pride in being avid users of Google, Whats-app, Twitter and all the social media platforms available on the internet but how many of us actually care to read the terms and conditions which we agree to adhere to without giving a second thought?

Raises an alarm? It’s indeed a cause of worry. We are making ourselves even more susceptible to the threats to our security with every passing day. Cyber Crimes have been on a rise ever since the advent of internet and India alone witnessed a surge of approximately 300% in cybercrime cases from 2011 to 2014.

According to the data released by Information and Technology Ministry, more than 27000 cyber crimes were reported in first half of 2017 owing to note ban. A research conducted by IIT Kanpur claimed that the e-wallets like PayTM and BHIM were found to be unsafe for use. Aadhaar details leak has also been a major cause of concern with no laws made to protect the rights of a person who wishes to raise his voice against misuse of his

Aadhaar details leak has also been a major cause of concern with no laws made to protect the rights of a person who wishes to raise his voice against misuse of his aadhar card details, a huge blunder by the current government which has taken several steps to make the country tech savvy. With several rises in reports regarding fraud calls asking for bank details and other personal details like ATM PIN by imposters masquerading as official bank employees, the banks tried to raise awareness through several advertisements campaigns in order to make the account holders more alert but it still failed to serve its purpose.

So what do we do now? How can we protect ourselves from being vulnerable to future threats since as per cybersecurity experts, we are going to witness an internet revolution in the next 10 years? Here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts which you must follow to stop yourself from getting jeopardized in the future:

Buy a new laptop and make it internet free: Instead of uploading photos on a laptop which is connected to the internet, buy a new laptop and make it free from the internet. Maintenance of two laptops might be cumbersome but privacy is of utmost importance.

Download Anti-Virus on your mobile: Anti-Virus is not only important for your laptops but also necessary for your mobile phones to save it from viruses which might be breeding slowly in your mobile without you being aware of it.

Always check the rules and regulations before signing up on any social media platform: Before agreeing to sign up on any social media platform, kindly spare some time to scrutinize the terms and conditions offered by them. Also, did you read about Whats-app’s end to end encryption? Do yourself a favor and read about the latest scam by Whatsapp to fool the customers. (Happy Realization)

Raise your voice whenever you think you’re being a victim of cyber-crime and stop being a silent witness to it: It’s high time that we raised our voice. There’s a need to cease to be mute spectators of cyberbullying, raise an alarm if you think that you’re at the receiving end.

Stop uploading your personal details on Google Drive/Cloud: Uploading your private stuff on Google Drive/ Cloud is equivalent to an invitation to come and have free access to your private details making you open to coming under attack by hackers. Be your own judge.

Do not use public Wi-fi: Put a full stop to avail free facilities because nothing in this world comes for free. Usage of public Wi-Fi eventually leaks your data and can be used by all kind of sources which might put you at undefined risk.

Avoid passing off your Aadhar no. to unknown sources until it’s mandatory: Your Aadhaar details are as personal as your Bank details. A person who has access to your Aadhar No. can place you in extreme peril.