On completing this course, you will be able to:
Welcome to this module, which aims to help you understand the growing need for cybersecurity.
Faced with an unprecedented surge in cyber attacks, never before has the demand for cybersecurity professionals been so high.
Find out more about what cybercriminals want and what you can do to ensure that a cyber threat never becomes a reality.
Hi, my name is Guru. Welcome to eLearning company @Apollo. We’re delighted to have you on board. The company is in a critical growth phase, but we’re worried that we’re susceptible to security breaches.
We’ve seen so many companies fall victim to cybercrime, and we don’t want to be next. We need to move quickly and build our cybersecurity defenses. Are you ready to help?
Cybersecurity is the ongoing effort to protect individuals, organizations and governments from digital attacks by protecting networked systems and data from unauthorized use or harm.
Personal data is any information that can be used to identify you, and it can exist both offline and online.
Your offline identity is the real-life persona that you present on a daily basis at home, at school or at work. As a result, family and friends know details about your personal life, including your full name, age and address.
It’s important not to overlook the importance of securing your offline identity. Identity thieves can easily steal your data from right under your nose when you’re not looking!
Your online identity is not just a name. It’s who you are and how you present yourself to others online. It includes the username or alias you use for your online accounts, as well as the social identity you establish and portray on online communities and websites.
You should take care to limit the amount of personal information you reveal through your online identity.
Many people think that if they don’t have any social media or online accounts set up, then they don’t have an online identity. This is not the case. If you use the web, you have an online identity.
It’s your first day on the job, and it’s time to choose a username for your online identity. Which of the following options would you choose?
This is your first chance to gain some valuable defender points at eLearning company @Apollo, so take your time and think carefully before making your choices.
Choose two correct answers!
wrong
wrong
wrong
correct
correct
Hints
When choosing a username, it’s important not to reveal any personal information. It should be something appropriate and respectful and should not lead strangers to think you are an easy target for cybercrimes or unwanted attention.
Some other useful tips to help you generate your username:
Personal data describes any information about you, including your name, social security number, driver license number, date and place of birth, your mother’s maiden name, and even pictures or messages that you exchange with family and friends.
Cybercriminals can use this sensitive information to identify and impersonate you, infringing on your privacy and potentially causing serious damage to your reputation.
How hackers can get their hands on your personal data?
Medical records
Every time you visit the doctor, personal information regarding your physical and mental health and wellbeing is added to your electronic health records (EHRs). Since the majority of these records are saved online, you need to be aware of the medical information that you share.
And these records go beyond the bounds of the doctor’s office. For example, many fitness trackers collect large amounts of clinical data such as your heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which is transferred, stored and displayed via the cloud. Therefore, you should consider this data to be part of your medical records.
Education records
Educational records contain information about your academic qualifications and achievements. However, these records may also include your contact information, attendance records, disciplinary reports, health and immunization records as well as any special education records including individualized education programs (IEPs).
Employment and financial records
Employment data can be valuable to hackers if they can gather information on your past employment, or even your current performance reviews.
Your financial records may include information about your income and expenditure. Your tax records may include paychecks, credit card statements, your credit rating and your bank account details. All of this data, if not safeguarded properly, can compromise your privacy and enable cybercriminals to use your information for their own gain.
This has got you thinking. Only yesterday, you shared a couple of photos of your first day on the job with a few of your close friends. But that should be OK, right? Let’s see…
This is just one example that reminds us that every time we collect or share personal data, we should consider our security. There are different laws that protect your privacy and data in your country. But do you know where your data is?
More examples which may not be so obvious.
Consider how often you use your computing devices to access your personal data. Unless you have chosen to receive paper statements, you probably access digital copies of bank account statements via your bank’s website. And when paying a bill, it’s highly likely that you’ve transferred the required funds via a mobile banking app.
But besides allowing you to access your information, computing devices can now also generate information about you.
It might seem that information available online is free. But is privacy the price we pay for this digital convenience?
For example, social media companies generate the majority of their income by selling targeted advertising based on customer data that has been mined using algorithms or formulas. Of course, these companies will argue that they are not ‘selling’ customer data, but ‘sharing’ customer data with their marketing partners.
You can make up your own mind!
So, with all this information about you available online, what do hackers want? Of course, they want your money.
Can you think of an example that you have experienced yourself or that you have heard or read about, where cybercriminals have accessed or tried to access financial information online?
Were you able to think of at least one example?
A cybercriminal can take advantage of your relationships, accessing your online accounts and appealing to your good nature to try and trick you into wiring money to your friends or family in a time of need. For example, there have been many reported cases of hackers impersonating family members and sending messages stating that they need money wired in order to get home from abroad after losing their wallets.
And while you may think that your frequent flyer air miles are not valuable to cybercriminals, think again. In 2015, cybercriminals hacked approximately 10,000 American Airlines and United accounts, booking free flights and upgrades using stolen credentials. Even though the frequent flyer miles were returned to the customers by the airlines, this example demonstrates the value of your login credentials.
Cybercriminals are certainly very imaginative when it comes to gaining access to your money. But that’s not all they are after — they could also steal your identity and ruin your life.
Let’s find out more.
Not content with stealing your money for short-term financial gain, cybercriminals are invested in the long-term gain of identity theft.
Two examples of how they might do this.
Medical theft
Rising medical costs have led to an increase in medical identity theft, with cybercriminals stealing medical insurance to use the benefits for themselves. Where this happens, any medical procedures carried out in your name will then be saved in your medical records.
Banking
Stealing private data can help cybercriminals access bank accounts, credit cards, social profiles and other online accounts. Armed with this information, an identity thief could file a fake tax return and collect the refund. They could even take out loans in your name and ruin your credit rating (and your life as well).
It’s not just criminals who seek your personal data.
Select the headings below to find out what other entities are interested in your online identity and why.
Your ISP tracks your online activity and, in some countries, they can sell this data to advertisers for a profit.
In certain circumstances, ISPs may be legally required to share your information with government surveillance agencies or authorities.
Targeted advertising is part of the Internet experience. Advertisers monitor and track your online activities such as shopping habits and personal preferences and send targeted ads your way.
These platforms gather information about your gender, geolocation, phone number and political and religious ideologies based on your search histories and online identity. This information is then sold to advertisers for a profit.
Websites use cookies to track your activities in order to provide a more personalized experience. But this leaves a data trail that is linked to your online identity that can often end up in the hands of advertisers!