Malware attacks are one of the most vicious forms of cybercrime you can encounter online. Although many people wrongly believe that cyberattacks are less commonplace now that more sophisticated devices, storage systems, and email platforms exist, they are on the rise.
Why?
Because cybercriminals are becoming increasingly advanced in their methods of attacking victims. People may be more aware that cybersecurity threats exist, but the methods used have evolved considerably from the laughably poor spam email, which no longer tricks anybody.
Before you learn more about how to protect yourself from malware attacks, you must understand what a malware attack is.
A malware attack is a cyberattack which targets end-user devices, installing different malicious programs, which can harm the device, steal sensitive information, and damage a computer network.
The ultimate aim is for the cybercriminal to make money, which is why they attempt to steal private information (including corporate secrets, bank details, and sensitive personal information).
To help prevent this from happening to you, here are some top tips for protecting yourself from malware attacks:
Use Proper Cyber Security Solutions
Arguably the best approach you can take to protect yourself from malware attacks is to employ advanced cybersecurity solutions.
Whether you use email protection software, which blocks emails which are suspected of containing malware or phishing scams, targeted attack protection software (TAP), cloud security management (which helps you store sensitive information in the cloud and then manage which accounts have access to it), or simple anti-virus protection on your device, there are a whole host of solutions you can consider.
The best step is to research the problem, understand your security weaknesses, and then locate the best solution for your problem.
If you want to find out more about protecting your devices from malware threats, visit Proofpoint for additional information.
Understand How Malware Targets People
Cyber security scams, like malware, have a particularly sinister reputation because they are completely anonymous and use sophisticated technology to extract money from you.
Because few people understand who the scammers are or how the technology works, they ignore the threat and fail to learn more about how to avoid being duped.
This is a shame because, psychologically speaking, cyber hackers use precisely the same techniques as old-school con artists. While con artists still exist, people are far more likely to recognise they are being lied to.
Why?
In essence, it is a human-to-human exchange. Unusual body language, a certain appearance, or the circumstances of the conversation are enough to put many people off being tricked.
However, when a malware scam is being sent via email or text message, you cannot tell who the sender is, what they want, or what is in the file or URL link they send.
Therefore, you need to educate yourself on the basic signs of a malware scam, to lessen the chances of you being taken advantage of.
Avoid Opening Suspicious Messages
If there is one tip you can take away from this article is that you should avoid all suspicious-looking messages or emails at all costs.
When you scroll through your inbox, and a message doesn't look or sound quite right, it almost certainly won't be. Your gut is an incredible instinct, so you should follow it when deciding whether to open a link or file.
