Technology has become an essential part of our daily lives. It’s nearly impossible to live without laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Whether you use your devices for communication, entertainment, or business, there’s no doubt that they have become so crucial that you can find a device in just about any household around the world.

With these powerful devices being smaller and easier to carry around, everything we do has become much easier and faster than ever before. As much as these devices have brought us a major lifestyle change, they have also brought a new element of risk to our daily lives.

Unfortunately, in recent years there has been a massive rise in cybercrime. The majority of people around the world overlook the dangers of cybercrime, simply believing that they won’t fall victim to the threats of the online world. However, this article will show you why you shouldn’t stick your head in the sand and ignore these threats. Keep reading for your crash course on cybercrime, and how you can ensure that your device is always safe and secure.

What is Cybercrime?

The invention of the internet has brought a fast-paced life of convenience to our world. Through all of the developments over the years, the internet has become incredibly fast. So much so in fact, that we can find a movie at the click of a button, chat to someone on the other side of the world in a matter of seconds, and even work from anywhere in the world.

However, the internet also brought with it a new category of crime — cybercrime. Cybercrime has been around for decades, taking millions of victims over the years. Many people don’t believe that cybercrime is truly dangerous, but the reality is that the effects of cybercrime can be truly devastating.

The most common method that cyber criminals use to commit their crimes is phishing. In its most basic form, phishing is when a cybercriminal sends a fraudulent email to its victim, urging them to interact with a link in the email. Interacting with the link will have one of two results.

The first is that the link could prompt malicious software, also known as malware, to be installed on the victim’s device. Malware can manifest in many different forms, but the most common types of malware that you may encounter are viruses, spyware, and ransomware.

Clicking on an illegitimate link can also direct you to a website that has a keylogger installed on it. Keyloggers will copy everything that you type into the website and give it straight to the cybercriminal — this allows them to steal your login credentials, personal information, and even your banking details.

By using malware or stolen information, hackers can commit a wide range of crimes. From identity theft to selling your details on the dark web. Overall, hackers can do a ton of damage to your personal life, not just your devices.

Why is it Becoming so Popular?

Cybercrime is showing a sharp upward trend, especially when looking closely at the past two years. There are two main reasons why cybercrime is becoming so much more popular in 2022.

Firstly more people are using technological devices. Whether it’s laptops, smartphones, or tablets, the number of devices used worldwide has surpassed four billion. Moreover, thousands of devices are sold daily, which means that even more people are starting to use devices daily.

Another reason why cybercrime has become so popular is because of the Covid-19 pandemic. With many countries around the world going into lockdown, people were forced to stay inside their homes. Citizens had to keep themselves busy from home, stay in touch with their friends and family, and even work remotely.

Both of these factors led to a massive increase in screen time all around the world. With more people spending time on their devices, more opportunities were available for cybercriminals to lure their victims in using well-crafted phishing scams before launching a cyber attack against their targets.

How to Protect Your Devices

With this massive increase in cybercrime all around the globe, we have no choice but to protect ourselves. Luckily for us, cybersecurity measures have developed just as much as cybercrime has in recent years, and there are a few essential tools you can use to ensure that your device remains secure at all times.

Before we dive into the cybersecurity tools you need to install on your devices, there is one guideline that you need to make sure to follow. Whichever cybersecurity tool you choose to use, make sure that you always choose a premium option rather than a free one. The drawbacks that come with free cybersecurity software can often cause much more harm than good!

First up is premium antivirus software. Antivirus software will run in the background of your device, constantly scanning and searching for any viruses or other forms of malware that are lurking on your device. Once the malware has been detected, the antivirus software can remove them from your device before they cause too much harm. When choosing an antivirus program, it’s always a good idea to look for one that packs extra features into the software — for example, the ability to scan emails and links for potential phishing scams.

Another essential cybersecurity tool you need is a virtual private network or a VPN for short. VPNs are great tools for travelers who often need to make use of unsecured networks which are usually found at public WiFi hotspots. A VPN will encrypt your internet connection, which will prevent anyone from seeing what you are doing on your device — even your ISP and the government won’t be able to keep track of your internet traffic! By using a VPN you can also connect to a secure global server in another city or country around the world. In doing so, your real IP address will be hidden, masking your location. Your device will then adopt the IP address of the server that you have connected to, allowing you to bypass internet censorship and geo-blocking restrictions.

Finally, you need to make sure that you use strong and unique passwords to keep your accounts safe. Remembering each password can be a hassle though, and the default password storage on your device or browser is not as secure as it should be. You should consider investing in a premium password manager which will act as a virtual vault, allowing you to securely store each of your passwords behind a master key that only you have access to.