The modern world increasingly relies on a variety of electronic devices and the internet, but by enjoying these benefits, we leave behind a lot of personal information. Information that, if it were to fall into the wrong hands, could be misused. That is why proper data protection is so important, and it involves following several key principles. Criminals employ all sorts of methods and tricks to achieve their goals, and following basic recommendations is essential in the daily fight against them.

Unfortunately, in this whole process, the weakest link is the human being – it is precisely the curiosity, gullibility, or carelessness of internet users that allows hackers to bypass even the best hardware or software security measures. Therefore, it is worth knowing what dangers lurk when browsing websites, shopping online, or using social media. In many cases, this knowledge may help protect against the theft of personal data or even money from your account.

Phishing

Many people have probably received an email that at first glance appeared to come from a bank or an auction site, only to find upon closer inspection that it was a “fake” intended to mislead regarding its authenticity. Such messages usually contain either links urging you to click or attachments. Clicking on one of these “offers” most often ends up infecting your computer with a virus. For example, it can install a program that logs everything typed on the keyboard, including logins and bank passwords. But the virus may also encrypt the entire contents of the hard drive and demand a hefty sum to restore the files. The basic protection against phishing is to avoid clicking on links in suspicious emails and not to open any attached files. It is also necessary to carefully check the senders, which can be problematic when using email on smartphones.

Dropped Media (Baiting)

Another method used by criminals, which exploits human curiosity, is the deliberate dropping of infected USB drives or CDs. Opening such media can result in the computer being infected with a dangerous virus that can cause a great deal of damage. Many breaches of seemingly well-secured corporate networks have been carried out in this way – someone finds a USB drive by chance and decides to check its contents. Therefore, even though it may be very tempting, you should resist your curiosity and not examine suspicious media. It is also essential to have up-to-date antivirus software that can detect most malicious programs.

Social Media

Social media, online shops, auction sites – there are countless places where you leave your personal data, photos, or other information. Unfortunately, many internet users take a very relaxed approach to what they publish or share on various sites. In many cases, however, providing certain information is unnecessary – for example, why would a shop need your national identification number (PESEL) to process an order? Therefore, you should be very cautious about what and in what form you publish online, keeping in mind that some things may never be removed. This applies not only to social media—such as photos and private information—but also to other places where you provide your data. On Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, it is advisable to adjust your privacy settings so that your account content is accessible only to authorized users.

Passwords

Many breaches and account takeovers occur because internet and IT system users have the wrong approach to passwords. This mainly concerns their complexity – even though it is widely discussed, many people still use simple strings of keyboard characters, birthdates, or their children’s names. Such passwords are very easy to crack, which is why it is necessary to use stronger ones composed of letters, numbers, and special characters. It is also important to remember to change them regularly and, under no circumstances, to write them down in places where someone might read them.

The above principles of cyber hygiene are just part of what you should practice daily when visiting websites or using computers and smartphones. While following all these rules won’t protect you from every threat, it can significantly reduce the risk of intrusion or the seizure of important data by hackers.