As everything is becoming digitalized and we spend increasingly more time online, it’s crucial to learn the dangers of the digital space, stay vigilant, and know how to protect yourself.
Stay safe with essential knowledge and tools — secure your digital life now!
Digital security defines the safety measures and tools used to protect your data, online identity, and other digital assets. It includes practices and technologies such as firewalls, antivirus software, two-factor authentication, VPNs, and more.
While these terms are used interchangeably — and in practice, they are closely related and overlap in some cases — digital security and cybersecurity are distinct concepts.
Cybersecurity, in broader terms, focuses on protecting computer systems, networks, and programs from cyberattacks. In comparison, digital security is often defined as the practice of securing your personal data, devices, and online identity from unauthorized access.
When you use the internet, you leave behind a data trail, referred to as the digital footprint. It includes pretty much everything you do online — from the websites you visit to what you post on social media and even your online banking activity.
You may not pay too much attention to these daily activities, but they can expose you and your devices, data, and identity to various online threats.
That’s why digital security is crucial to anyone who goes online. Neglecting it could result in data breaches, financial losses, exposed private information, reputation damage, and even legal consequences.
Digital security threats are a multitude of tactics bad actors employ to compromise personal information, disrupt services, or steal sensitive data. These threats include malicious activities, also called cyberattacks, such as malware, social engineering, spoofing, and many more.
With the ever-growing reliance on online platforms and services, understanding the risks to your privacy and security is necessary. This knowledge will allow you to protect yourself from malicious attacks and keep your personal and financial information secure.
Malware is malicious software that damages, exploits, or in some other way compromises a device, computer system, or network. Malware can corrupt files, steal data, and even allow attackers to gain unauthorized access.
What it is: A bit of code that attaches to files or programs and spreads when the compromised file/program is executed.
What it can do: A virus can be used for ransomware, DDoS attacks, or stealing sensitive data. Typically spread through email attachments, file sharing, and malicious websites. Once the infected file or program is activated, the virus can spread and corrupt other files, disrupt system operations, etc.
What it is: A type of malware that secretly infiltrates devices, monitors activities, and collects data without the user’s consent.
What it can do: Monitor online activities, gather private, sensitive data, including credit card numbers and passwords, and pass it to malicious parties.
What it is: A Trojan horse — malware disguised as genuine software used to trick users into downloading and installing it.
What it can do: Create backdoors to enable unauthorized access and system changes, capture keystrokes, spy on and steal data. Some Trojans can download and install more malware.
What it is: An automated software program that performs repetitive tasks on the internet.
What it can do: Malicious bots perform harmful activities, including spamming (sending a huge number of users unsolicited messages or comments), credential stuffing (using stolen login information to access user accounts without their authorization), DDoS attacks (flooding servers, websites, etc. with malicious traffic to make them unavailable), and web scraping (unauthorized data collection from websites).
What it is: A software error, vulnerability, or flaw that can be exploited by malicious actors.
What it can do: Allow unauthorized access, freeze or crash systems, or be used for installing more malware.
What it is: A kind of malware — a collection of software tools —that uses cloaking techniques and allows an attacker to take over a computer or network undetected.
What it can do: Provide attackers with remote access to the compromised system, monitor user activity, and alter system files and settings. It can also be used for data theft (passwords, banking details, personal data, etc.) and to disable security software, making it easier for other malware to infect the device, all without the user’s knowledge.
What it is: A self-replicating virus that spreads itself over networks (via email, peer-to-peer networks, instant chats, etc.)
What it can do: Inject malicious software into a computer, alter and delete files, exhaust system resources like bandwidth and hard drive space, damage a computer’s hardware, steal data, create a backdoor, and allow someone to gain control of the device.
What it is: Software that shows intrusive, unwanted advertisements on a user’s device.
What it can do: Display ads by altering the visited websites or opening additional browser pages, slowing down the system’s performance, and tracking user browsing activity.
What it is: Malware that encrypts user’s data or locks them out of their files or entire systems, demanding payment for their release.
What it can do: Cause financial loss. If the ransom isn’t paid, threat actors can destroy data, leak confidential data online, and disrupt businesses’ and organizations’ operations, resulting in expensive downtime and loss of vital information.
These are some of the most common types of malware. You can read this article to learn about more types of malware and what they can do.
Social engineering is a group of manipulation techniques that exploit human error, allowing bad actors to acquire private information, access, and even valuables. In many cases, it involves deceiving people into violating standard security protocols, such as revealing passwords or other sensitive data.
Phishing is an online scam in which an attacker, pretending to be a legitimate entity, tricks the victim into sharing their sensitive information.
There are a few types of phishing attacks, including:
Baiting is a tactic that involves luring victims in with an appealing offer, such as free software, music, or even USB devices left in public places. The victim might take the bait and unintentionally install malware or disclose personal information.
Pretexting is an attack where the criminal fabricates a scenario, or “pretext,” to convince the victim to reveal confidential information. In order to gain credibility, the attacker pretends to be a person the victim trusts, such as a coworker or a bank representative.
In a quid pro quo attack, a perpetrator promises a benefit or a service in return for access or information. For instance, the attacker might offer free software updates or IT support, requesting the victim’s sensitive information or access to their system in exchange.
Honeytraps are deceptive methods that use romantic or seductive interactions. Criminals often create fake online profiles posing as attractive or famous people to trick a victim into a relationship, gain their trust, and then deceive them into disclosing confidential information, jeopardizing their security, revealing corporate secrets, sending out money, etc.
Clickjacking involves tricking a user into clicking on an invisible or disguised element on a webpage, which leads to unintended actions. For instance, clicking on a seemingly harmless button may lead to activating a camera, sharing private information, executing a purchase, etc.
A watering hole attack is a targeted attack in which cybercriminals target a specific group or organization by installing malicious code on a trusted website that the group frequents. When the targeted group members visit the infected websites, their systems/devices become compromised, giving the attacker access to their networks and the ability to steal sensitive information.
Scareware is a type of scam that scares users into believing their device is at risk by showing alarming notifications about system vulnerabilities and viruses, tricking them into buying or downloading malicious software, such as fake antivirus or other security services, which can actually compromise their system.
A spoofing attack in the digital security context includes the attacker pretending to be a legitimate source in order to deceive victims and gain unauthorized access to data or systems.
Attackers send packets using fake source IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to give the impression that they are coming from a reliable source.
Attackers send fake GPS (Global Positioning System) signals to manipulate a device’s location data to cause navigational errors or trick systems that depend on location services.
Attackers alter DNS (Domain Name System) records to divert traffic from a legitimate website to a fraudulent or malicious website.
Attackers create fake websites that look like legitimate ones to fool users into submitting sensitive information, such as login credentials.
Attackers alter the caller ID information displayed on victims’ mobile devices to hide their identity and make it appear like the call is coming from a reliable number.
While malware, social engineering, and spoofing are the most prominent cyberthreats, there are several other digital security threats you should be aware of.
In a DDoS attack, attackers use multiple hacked systems to overload a target (such as a server or website) with excessive traffic, denying legitimate users their ability to access the target. Here’s a quick read on how to stop a DDoS attack.
MitM attacks involve threat actors secretly intercepting communication between two parties and potentially altering it. These attacks can easily go undetected and lead to significant data breaches, financial losses, etc.
Evil twin is a type of Wi-Fi attack in which criminals set up fake access points that look like genuine Wi-Fi networks, trick users into connecting to them, and then steal their data or inject their devices with malware.
Brute force attacks happen when hackers attempt to access accounts or encrypted data by deliberately trying every password or key combination until they find the correct one.
Doxxing means publicly disclosing or publishing a person’s private, personal, or identifiable information online without their consent in order to harm, harass, or intimidate them.
Botnets are networks of infected devices (aka “zombies”) that are controlled by malicious actors and used for spreading malware, DDoS attacks, or carrying out other illicit activities.
Both data leaks and data breaches involve compromised data. The difference, however, lies in the cause of the event — accidental exposure or malicious intent.
A data leak occurs when sensitive information is accidentally exposed to unauthorized parties, whether due to human error, weak security practices, or misconfigurations. A data breach, on the other hand, is intentional, unauthorized access to a system with the intent to steal or disclose confidential data via malware, hacking, or other types of cyberattacks.
With various threats lurking in every corner of the digital landscape, it’s essential to stay vigilant and know how to protect yourself online. Whether safeguarding your online presence against malware, maintaining privacy, or securing personal data, using proper tools can help greatly.
Antivirus software scans your device for malware, such as viruses, worms, and trojans, and removes them. You need an antivirus for real-time protection against threats, as it detects and neutralizes them before they can do damage, keeping your systems secure at all times. Don’t know which antivirus software to get? Try Surfshark Antivirus!
Secure browsers are designed to improve security and privacy when browsing online. They offer various safety features, such as anti-tracking, ad blocking, encrypted connections, etc. The best privacy browsers will lower the risks of becoming a victim of a phishing attack or an advertiser target and allow you to maintain more privacy and security.
A VPN is a security tool that encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, protecting your online identity. A VPN connection prevents hackers and other third parties from tracking your online activity, secures your connection to public networks, overcomes restrictive firewalls, and provides many more benefits.
A data leak monitor, such as Surfshark Alert, is a tool that informs you when your personal information (emails, passwords, IDs, or credit card details) has been leaked on the web (dark web included) after a data leak or breach. This knowledge allows you to take immediate action, like changing passwords or securing accounts, to prevent any additional damage.
With Alternative ID, you get an alias with a randomized home address, a secondary email address, and, if you need one, a virtual phone number add-on. You can use this alternative information for online activities, such as signing up for various services, to keep your actual personal information anonymous and protected from identity theft and other digital threats.
Navigating the online realm, trying to avoid all the threats, and making sure you have all the necessary tools and knowledge might get overwhelming. Thankfully, there is a one-in-all solution — Surfshark One subscription.
It includes all the tools you need to stay safe: VPN, Ad Blocker, Antivirus, Search, Alternative ID, and Alert. And, with unlimited simultaneous connections, you can protect all of your devices with a single Surfshark account.
