Every day companies produce information, regardless of their size. Such information adds value and increases productivity and competitiveness in the market. When in use connected to the internet, this data needs to be protected and for this reason there are so many security systems and tools on the internet.
Given this scenario, we have prepared important information about internet security for professionals and companies, seeking to help them understand the importance of the topic.
What is internet security?
Internet security can be understood as all the precautions that users must take to protect all properties that are part of the internet, such as infrastructure, devices and information.
Methods, procedures, standards and laws, such as the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD), for example, seek to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities in information from users and devices connected to the internet.
Internet security has as a priority ensuring that important information is not in the possession of anyone other than the legitimate owner.
To stay safe on the internet there are several solutions, such as software, hardware, services and also constant user training, after all, new cyber attacks emerge every year, with different means and innovative strategies.
Why is internet security important?
Criminals on the internet try in different ways to turn an unprotected or unprepared user into a victim of a cyber attack.
Viruses in the system, fake emails and even very well-built websites that look identical to the real thing are some of the ways to attack internet users.
As for objectives, there are several. Among the most common are:
- Attack systems or equipment
- Steal confidential, sensitive or valuable information (or all)
- Steal the identity of users or companies
- Steal money
- Corrupt important data
- Sell stolen personal data
With the large number of people connected, using and transferring personal information daily, the internet is like a field full of lambs for the wolf to choose which one to attack. That's why today, internet security is such an important topic, especially for professionals and companies, which are one of the most common targets, as you will see below.
Who are the main targets of a cyber attack?
It would not be an exaggeration to say that all users connected to the internet are prone to suffering a cyber attack. However, there is a “preferred” audience for criminals, who are usually more fragile or more “profitable”, that is, who can generate a gain, usually in money, much greater than the others.
Among the most attacked are:
- Companies from different sectors
- Banking institutions
- Government institutions
- Public and famous figures
In the text Cybersecurity predictions for Latin America in 2021 published on the Kaspersky blog, the numbers of internet crimes predicted for 2021 are alarming. According to the company specializing in internet security, the increase and diversification of attacks on financial systems in 2021 will be greater than this year.
Furthermore, scams for Android (the most used mobile operating system in the world) will mature and could increase profits and reduce the efforts of criminals.
In the next few lines you will see why you should worry about internet security on mobile devices.
Cell phones are also targets of internet crimes
In the 90s there were computers with a fraction of the performance of most smartphones today. Along with so much technology and different ways of using the internet connection, cyber attacks on mobile devices have emerged.
A study called SMARTPHONES – 2020/2021 released by Cuponation revealed that the rate of smartphones in the world is expected to increase, even more so if we take into account projections of purchases made until December of next year, reaching the mark of 50% of new devices being purchased .
According to a survey based on data compiled between 2016 and 2020, by the end of 2021 there will be around 3.5 billion people in the world with a mobile device. In Brazil alone, growth in the period was more than 60% according to the research shown in the graph below:
Another interesting fact is the attacks on financial applications on mobile devices. According to news from the TI Inside portal, Brazil was one of the main targets of cyber attacks on financial apps in the first half of this year.
Attacks on new application launches and operating system updates are reported annually, reinforcing that unprotected and unprepared users can be easy targets, compared to large companies with sectors specialized in developing forms of internet protection.
Therefore, taking care of internet security on mobile devices is extremely important and is also a major concern for companies that develop software and systems for these devices.
Not over yet!
As we have seen, we can suffer a cyber attack in different ways, reasons and devices. It is also a fact that the majority of security breaches on the internet are related to processes, people and behaviors. Therefore, it is essential that users have knowledge about the topic and invest in learning and keep systems aimed at internet security functioning.
Continue reading about the topic in the Internet Security Guide for Companies and see what the most common cyber attacks and some characteristics about them.
Until later!
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