Cybercrime is a hot topic in this day and age and the biggest enabler of this is lack of education for actual cyber safety. It sounds far too simple to be true, but most victims of cybercrime are people that just did not realize they were potential and easy targets.I know it is a hassle to learn about cyber safety but it is far better than dealing with the consequences of neglecting cybersecurity best practices.
What Can Happen If You Neglect Cyber Safety?
So you think that cybercriminals will never invade your computer? Well let's see some things that can happen if you think that way:
- The computer might crash and die after you have roamed the internet in an easy and carefree manner. Who knows what infections it might get?
- You might be responsible for ruining your friends and family's computer too. I guess you wouldn't think about that when you opened an innocent email with a rogue attachment? Who thought the email virus could send that same virus out to all your email contacts?
- A hacker can access your computer if it is not protected and god knows what personal information is stored in there? I would hate to think.
- A hacker might use your computer as a pornography server, storing all the images that creepy people want to see. But how are you going to explain this to the police when they haul you away in front of all your neighbors? If only you knew things like this really do happen.
- You end up with a lawsuit for distributing software illegally. Later you find out that a hacker was storing the software on your computer and people were downloading from there when you were online. Therefore it looked like you were sharing it.
- You went away on a holiday but boasted about it online first. You posted a status to Facebook which also showed you logged into your holiday location. Some friend of a friend saw this and decided to squat in your house while you are away. The person decides to have a party and someone injures themselves on your property. Now you have a lawsuit pending.
- You shared a login password with your friend a while back and forgot all about it as you are no longer friends. After a few months, you start to see odd things in your account. The friend is not happy with you and posts malicious and unsavory things to make you look bad.
- A cybercriminal might steal your identity and signup for 10 different credit cards online. They all get approved because your credit rating is A1 and the criminal goes on a shopping spree. You spend years trying to clear your name.
