The Wannacry attacks in May 2017 were just the beginning.
With classified hacking and surveillance programs being leaked worldwide as reported by Wikileaks earlier this year, the writing was on the wall for anyone willing to read it. We’re entering a new era of cyberwarfare and cyber attacks, and many are unprepared for the fallout.
That sort of talk used to be reserved for certain tin-foil hat circles in earlier times, but you don’t have to be a computer genius to realize things could go from bad to worse with all the hoarded NSA exploits and unprotected computers out there. These are seriously powerful tools, hackers, and computer experts all across the globe are scrambling to learn as much as they can about them.
It’s the latest development in an ongoing cyber arms-race. But with awareness there is hope.
You don’t need to learn advanced programming and computer networking to be vigilant and protect yourself. Forbes has an article with some useful tips on steps you can take. For the more technically inclined or computer savvy, you’ll be interested in these.
Perhaps the most often recited word of advice is making sure your computer’s operating system is up to date, with a working antivirus that is also up to date as well. Tech companies are taking note of the severity of these recent attacks, and the threats they pose. They’ve been good at releasing patches and updates for most threats as they arise, but you’ve got to install them to take effect.
You’d think by 2017 most people would already be doing this, but alas. Maybe these new attacks will change that. There’s no need to make yourself a target to hackers and cyber criminals. Take note of this changing cyber landscape, and stay up to date on what threats are out there. You’ll give yourself an edge in an era where we need all the help we can get.
