Faced with great innovations, big problems often come. Computer technology and the internet have made a major impact on the pace of life of society .
One of the biggest drawbacks is undoubtedly the high chances of suffering from a digital or computer attack . Few know the great threats that can be hidden behind a web platform, a file or a program.
What is Spoofing?
One of the biggest risks that anyone can suffer when being on the internet is identity theft . How? Well, social networks are the easiest target, a place where it is really unknown who is on the other side and what they are capable of doing.
The publication of photos, videos and sharing different data and information allows other people to take over your identity for any purpose: from creating a false profile to having more interaction or something more serious such as a scam or harassment in which you may end up suffering the consequences.
How to avoid identity theft?
Fortunately, there are a large number of measures that you can take when it comes to raising the security rates of your social networks , email and any other platform where you can download documents, programs or any other type of file.
Web address
What is the best way (besides being the easiest) to know that a page is secure? Through its URL. You just have to make sure that it has the “https” protocol . The security of this protocol is the favorite of the banking platforms to protect themselves from any attack and protect you from the leakage of information.
Emails
The files may contain some malware that specializes in collecting information from your computer to send it to a third party. So, when receiving a strange email, keep the following in mind:
- E-mail address of the person sending the message.
- What page does it refer you to? It is not recommended to access web pages in which you have to fill out forms with personal data (much less if they ask for information about your cards or bank accounts!).
- Before downloading a file, you can open it on the platform, for example from Google Drive . This tool allows you to verify that the document (Word, Excel, PDF) is virus free.
Secure connections
Another important aspect is the type of network you connect to. Many cafes, restaurants or squares maintain public networks available to anyone, but … can this affect you?
The answer is yes. It is always recommended to maintain a connection to networks with protected access settings : WPA, WPA 2 or WEP.
However, in case you really need to establish a connection to a public network, pay attention to the security of the websites you visit or applications you use.
Defense mechanisms
You do not have to wait for this type of situation to transcend the legal field (since it is a crime). Nothing better than protecting yourself to avoid bad times. Tools? They are left over! And here are the most important ones.
Updated software, secure software
Malware develops alongside software, but the second element is usually more powerful than the first. Smartphone, tablets, computers and other devices can be vulnerable if they maintain an outdated operating system .
What to do with the passwords?
Surely you have carried out, with great annoyance, some process of updating your passwords. But everything is for the best: the combination of letters, numbers, symbols and parameters such as not being similar to the five passwords used previously or not including personal data, have enormous importance.
To log in to web platforms, the use of tools such as the password manager is recommended.
This function is integrated into browsers and they can be intuitive enough not to carry out the automatic filling process due to a threat on the page… if so, quit.
Don’t be part of the statistics
Every year, millions of people suffer from spoofing. But thanks to these tips, you have what it takes not to fall for it. Share and protect others from spoofing!
