With handheld devices becoming more and moreubiquitous each day and networking having its roots so deeply embedded in ourlives, the world around us is becoming more and more cyber and technologicallyadvanced with each passing day and it’s hard to avoid the threats it entails. Cyberattackers range from sophisticated hackers to naive teenagers using cybervulnerabilities to their advantage. One such threat reported as of May 2017,when the world witnessed one of the worst cyber outcries, Wanna Cry Ransomware,a malicious malware that affected thousands of companies in over 150 countries.Britain’s Nation Health Service was worst hit by the attack and it also broughtmany of Spain’s top companies to a halt. This malicious malware first targetedcomputers functioning on obsolete versions of Microsoft Operating System andthen infected other systems on the network. The attack lasted 4 days bringingabout an extensive damage of hundred billion dollars.

  Numerous businesses and institutions now functionsolely on technology and share sensitive data and effectuate transactions overnetworking. This advancement makes cyber security indispensable and calls for arobust and standardized solution to remedy technological vulnerabilities thatcan compromise one’s identity and privacy and at times cost livelihood.Enlisted are some of the most effective measures to protect your computer andkeep your data intact:·      Strong Passwords:Implementing complex and various alpha-numeric combinations for a password canprevent an attack or an unwanted encroachment of your devices to an extent.·      Data back-up:Performing regular back-up for your data is a key feature of data security. Incase our security systems get compromised causing loss of data, we still haveaccess to our data.

·      Implementing control access and updatingsystems and installing Intrusion Detectors: Restrictingdata and service access to limited authorized personal and controlling physicalapproach to the premise can help keep threats at bay.  Also keeping critical data offline and itslimited sharing is crucial. Timely updating our security systems can help usstay one step ahead of the attackers. Intrusion Detectors helps monitor networktraffic and alerts and issues warning on detecting any suspicious activity. ·      Installing Firewalls, Antivirusprograms:  Firewallfilters the incoming and outgoing data on a network and block malicious contentfrom infecting your systems. Also prevents navigating unsecure websites andpotentially threatening content from being downloaded to your computers.Antivirus programs, on the other hand monitors your systems for any unusualbehavior, traces and destructs any dangerous software or viruses.

·      Data Encryption: Encryptionadds an extra wall of security to sensitive information stored on a system or anetwork. It employs a systematic algorithm to encrypt data to a code formallycalled ciphertext which can only beread if one has the permitted key or password to access that data , restrictingdata interpretation and manipulation.  ·      CybercrimeInsurance: Small or large scale business projectsshall issue a cybercrime insurance that can cover for their losses in case of acyber attack.·      OTP (One Time Password): Various business institutions can enforce OTP’s to ensuresecure financial transactions with customers. OTP’s are generated by employingvarious algorithms and they have a limited validity of   onetransaction/session. OTP’s are more secure than statics passwords as they are  not vulnerable to encroachment or accidental revelation. ·        CAPTCHA (Completely Automated PublicTuring Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart): Hackers can employ various web applicationsor design specific algorithms to make spurious entries or hoax registrations tocreate a passage to upload malicious content on your systems or network. CAPTHAis a real-time test that calls for an immediate response to a random distortedpiece of information that can only be interpreted by humans, thus differentiatingbots and humans.