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As the landscape of cybercrime changes, it’s becoming increasingly important to take steps to protect yourself online. For the past 20 years, Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland has been dedicated to researching and educating others about cybersecurity. He wants to share his knowledge with the world and teach us how to stay safe online.
The cost of cybercrime worldwide is shocking, albeit the number is likely far higher than what has been documented.
“A few years ago, it was estimated that the global cost of cybercrime would reach $1 trillion. I believe this number has already been surpassed,” Professor Haskell-Dowland said.
“It’s difficult to estimate these figures accurately since so much cybercrime goes unnoticed.”
Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean for Computing and Security, said that the public’s only view of cybercrime was what they saw in the media, such as Hackers and even the Diehard franchise.
“Hollywood’s typical portrayal of cybersecurity criminals a few years ago would likely be someone in a dark room, wearing a hoodie and typing away at their computer to hack into systems,” he said.
“We’ve had that glamorous view of cybercrime or cybersecurity for a long time.”
The cybersecurity specialist said this depiction is not entirely accurate. Cyber threats result from much more organised operations that are “incredibly well resourced.”
“We’ve seen cybercriminals that are extremely well-organised, reporting revenue in the billions of dollars…so they’re competing with huge multinational corporations.”
People were growing increasingly vulnerable to assaults due to this high level of sophistication.
How can you protect yourself?
Professor Haskell-Dowland said there are a few key things you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim of cybercrime.
He stated that the first thing is looking at our password practices, which may seem boring but is crucial.
“You should never use the same password for multiple accounts,” he said.
“If a password meets the criteria, people use it across multiple systems, which is fine as long as each system they use is secure and never breaches.”
“Unfortunately, it only takes the weakest of those systems to be broken into, and your supposedly secure password is now public knowledge.“
Personally, Professor Haskell-Dowland has more than 500 passwords and recommends that they not only be unique to each site but also stored securely.
The professor also suggested upgrading all of your systems and backing up data.
“Regularly update each of your devices, like your cellphone, to stop criminals from breaking into your system.,” he stressed out.
“Ensure that you always have a backup of your most crucial data to prevent any information loss, whether from a hack or malware.“
Professor Haskell-Dowland’s final advice is to take advantage of the available resources to stay informed about current threats.
“There are many great cybersecurity blogs out there that provide tips on how to protect yourself, as well as timely information about any new threats,” the specialist articulated.
“It’s important to stay up-to-date to be proactive about protecting yourself, rather than reactionary.”
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