Let’s turn the clock back to the beginning of this year. Life across the globe went on the way it always has for most of us. We’d step out of our homes like we did everyday, go to work , meet friends and step out whenever we needed to. Things however, have changed significantly since then and so much that we took for granted has changed. The reason: COVID-19 outbreak.
Everyone around the globe has been affected and yet we have found a way to get around so many of the problems we are facing. Those that can are working from home, Schools and colleges have shifted their classes online, we stay in touch with our friends and family and bank digitally. The internet has become more important than ever before.
Internet usage throughout the world is currently at an all-time high which, this has led to a sharp increase in the number activity of hackers. Our current overdependence on the internet has left so many of us sharing more sensitive information online, this in turn leaves us more vulnerable to online fraud and cyber attacks.
There are even certain organizations that have allegedly shared confidential information with sites such as Facebook. Zoom, a video calling app that has seen a huge spike in the number of active users, for both personal and work related calls is one of them.
There are a few other ways that we maybe more vulnerable to online fraud:
· Working from home means a less secure internet connection. This can be breached by hackers to extract sensitive information.
· Fake websites that claim to represent the WHO or small local charities that are being used to gain access to peoples credit and debit card details.
· This can not only cost you money but can also affect you credit score negatively.
· While your bank and card details are important, it is also equally important for us to ensure that our social media accounts are safe.
While our work laptops may be more secure and our workplaces taking every precaution to ensure the safety of their data on their employees devices, our personal computers may not be quite as safe. All we need to do to keep our personal information secure though is stay vigilant, be on the lookout for spam and phishing email and SMS communication and protect our online identities through tools that are easily available online.
ID Fence is one such tool that that helps you stay safe online. It monitors all your information 24X7 and gives you immediate alerts just in case someone is trying to misuse your personal information online. This covers your debit/ credit cards, bank accounts, Government Identity cards such as your PAN & Aadhaar card as well as your Email ID and Social Media accounts. You even get recommended actions so that you can protect your online identity before its misused.