The Importance of Digital Security
Digital security focuses on protecting a user’s digital identity. This includes protecting online banking data, credit card numbers, PIN codes, expiration dates, and other payment information. Personal health information also falls under the digital security umbrella. The health data includes medical histories, prescription drugs, and other data that can help a criminal commit fraud.
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, cyber crimes grew by 69% in the first quarter of 2020. Cyber attacks were reported to have caused losses of more than $4 billion.
Hackers target personal identification data, such as Social Security Numbers, email accounts, and IP addresses. Criminals use this data for identity theft and social engineering scams.
A number of NGOs are working to promote awareness about the importance of digital security. One group, the Digital Defenders Partnership, is comprised of more than a dozen NGOs. They’ve also released an 80-page handbook called Information Security for Journalists.
Other resources include the Online Survival Kit and Digital First Aid Kit. These guides are available in five languages. The kits provide tips and tools for digital first responders and self-diagnosis tools.
A good antivirus program can protect you from malicious infections. However, it can’t detect all threats. You need to keep up with the latest updates for your operating system.
Digital security also involves extra security equipment. Your company may need to invest in additional technology to defend against DDoS attacks, a form of distributed denial of service attack.