Why You Need to Think About Cybersecurity

If you are reading this article, it means you have a computer or smartphone, are connected to the Internet, you use at least one social media platform and have an email address. This makes you a digital citizen, congratulation, it's an amazing thing to be in 2019. Amazing when it comes to all the benefits you get from this status, but is it still amazing when we think about all the threats?

By clicking the link of this article I could have hacked your computer/smartphone, your LinkedIn or email. I didn't, don't worry! Besides this, I know for sure there is more than a couple of companies which are gathering your personal information right now, your computer/smartphone company, internet provider, email service provider and LinkedIn (and a dozen more we don't know about).

Sounds scary, doesn't it? But it's not that crazy, it's just like being a citizen in your city. By leaving the house you risk that a robber can attack you. Also your activity is traced somehow from all the people you interact. The fact that you left your house will be known by your family, neighbors, the coffee shop where you got your latte, the driver of the buss you took, your colleagues or classmates and any stranger your crossed in the street. All of them have a little piece of information about the fact that you left your house today.

All this is normal and we are used to it, in the real-world and in the digital-world. It becomes something to think about when someone starts using this information. And this is the case of all digital citizens, our information is being gathered and processed in order to be used in one point of time. Also, the probability of you being attacked is higher due to the fact that here you are more easily accessible. In your neighborhood there might be a couple of robbers that could attack you, but in the Internet all of the hackers of the whole world can reach you.

This is why, you, me and all of us need to care about cybersecurity. Because the digital-world is slightly more dangerous than the real-world, therefore we need to know how to protect ourselves in this different environment. And it starts with first thinking about it, and then learning what we can do, and finally by taking actions.

This article was just about the first part, thinking. If I managed to make just 1% of my network think about cybersecurity my mission is achieved! I will try again to make you think in the next months and slowly we will continue to the next steps, learning and taking actions.

I am very passionate about this topic and I want to spread as much as I can the message of how important is cybersecurity for all of us. This is why I have decided to start posting here in LinkedIn one article about cybersecurity every month, in a language understandable by everyone, and with information applicable by any digital citizen.

I would love your input and help in this journey. If you have any ideas, questions, things you are curious about and want to learn, or suggestions, please comment below so I can make the future articles even more interesting and relevant for you.

Stay awesome and secure!

Source:Enkeleda Ibrahimi