How Inexperienced Students Can Avoid Cybercrime

These days they often browse the web and while they do so, they catch the eye of cybercriminals and become an easy target. Here are the most common forms of cyber attacks a student often faces and various ways to prevent cybercrime:

5 Most Common Types of Cybercrimes and How to Prevent Them

1. Ransomware:

   Ransomware is a type of cybercrime wherein the student's computer is infected either via phishing or by an exploit kit. As soon as the ransomware successfully infects the victim’s computer, it encrypts all the data stored therein. Then, in exchange for the data, it asks for a ransom from the student. However, there is no guarantee that even after paying the ransom, you’ll get your data back.

   To prevent such attacks, students should have a data recovery plan, which will help them recover data for free, in case a computer is infected with ransomware. Take regular backups at periodic intervals to safeguard yourself.

2. Identity Theft:

   Cybercriminals can do all sort of things with the student’s identity. They may stalk your publicly exposed social media accounts and easily guess the answer to the security questions like ‘what is your father’s middle name?’ or ‘what was the name of your first school?’ They may even seize your banking credentials, apply for a new banking account and steal your savings.

   Be careful while revealing data about yourself on social media and other websites. Never disclose your financial information in the public domain or over an email. Avoid sending your social security number over an email.

3. Phishing:

   Phishing is another way to trap innocent students into doing something they otherwise won’t do, like clicking suspicious links or downloading email attachments. As soon as one clicks on the malicious URL or email attachment, the attackers get access to his or her login credentials and details, which they can use to get unauthorized access to the victim’s emails or bank accounts.

   Students often refer to various sites before writing an essay or investigating a particular topic. If you want to find essays online, never open an unsolicited email. You can easily type online order essays or get free papers online so that experts can write essays term papers but make sure you take proper care before visiting the link. All you need to do is, to go through the link in the URL rather than directly clicking it.

   The best way to stop cybercrime of this type is by exercising caution while opening any links or email attachments. Watch out for signs like grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, etc. that won’t be otherwise found in correspondence from a bank or any other authorized organization.

4. Online credit card fraud compromise:

   Though this might sound crazy and despite having well-protected systems at both ends, there is no guarantee that the information floating on the internet is safe and secure from all types of cybercrimes. One fraud that has become common is online payment fraud.

   In order to prevent cybercrime with your credit card, always sign up for the alerts so that you can get instant notifications of any abnormal activities linked to your credit card. Add an extra layer to your card’s security by opting for a ‘one-time password’ to mandatory logging in to complete the transaction.

5. Malware:

   Malware is the biggest online threat that has been attacking users. It appears in various forms. The most common type of malware targets the financial information of a student by installing key loggers on the computer, which can be done through either phishing attacks or malicious software package. As soon as one installs the software, malware is installed into the system too and keeps a check on the online activities. The moment any financial information is typed, the attackers steal it and misuse it for their benefits.

   The best way to protect yourself against malware is to always check the domain of the login page. Look for HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) before the URL. If the lock sign is not there, there is a possibility that the website is fake and can steal login credentials. Malware often is downloaded onto devices automatically. So keeping your software updated is a perfect way to combat it

In our era of technologies, no one is safe from cybercrime, especially inexperienced young people like students. This article aims to defend them from being deceived and educate.

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