ITSEC Asia’s tips to keep your personal information from being stolen by cybercriminals
What are hackers? Hackers are people whose programming skills are capable of breaking through computer security systems or computer networks for specific purposes. A hacker has an advanced understanding of computers, networks, programming, or hardware.
If you know what a hacker is, you can understand that hackers are not always synonymous with cyber criminals. In the cyber world, hackers are people who can hack devices such as computers, cell phones, webcams, and routers. Hacking actions that harm specific parties are criminal. However, in certain cases, hackers are people who can also be profitable.
Knowing what a hacker is a today has often sought their services to protect website systems or applications used by a company. These hackers are known as ethical hackers or white hats.
Incidents of data leakage are becoming more common in Indonesia. The latest information is even surprising and reaches a fantastic number, namely the alleged data leak of 1.3 billion SIM card registration data containing personal data such as NIK and phone numbers.
The incident adds to the long list of data leak cases that have occurred in the country, ranging from the alleged leak of bank details in January 2022, medical records of patients in several hospitals, to 26 million browser history data or user searches from an internet service provider.
Cybersecurity expert and President Director of ITSEC Asia Andri Hutama Putra said personal data is now becoming more important as it is vulnerable to misuse. Therefore, the protection of personal data must be understood by all parts of society.
“The protection of personal data must be an important pillar for institutions or companies that collect personal data from individuals in the performance of their activities. However, the protection of personal data must also begin with oneself,” says Andri.
Andri added that many data leaks also occur on an individual level caused by negligence in digital activities. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to how we conduct digital activities to protect our data in cyberspace.
In this regard, ITSEC Asia, as a cybersecurity company, provides several tips for the public to protect personal information in cyberspace at an individual level to avoid the potential threat of data leakage. Here are the tips:
Different email addresses for different needs
There are still many people who use an email address for all their needs, from banking services, transactions, social media, subscriptions, and others. This is very dangerous for the other person’s personal information if the email is attacked.
Any information contained in these emails can be stolen and misused. Therefore, use email addresses for their respective purposes, e.g. B. Using different email addresses between transaction requests and social media.
Use strong passwords and change them regularly
Use strong passwords and avoid easy-to-guess passwords like just your name or date of birth. Mix passwords with capital letters, numbers, or punctuation mark so that they are not easy to guess.
Regarding the use of passwords for every need, change the password regularly. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent personal information from being easily stolen by irresponsible individuals.
Don’t click suspicious links or download apps carelessly
Do not carelessly open any suspicious links or links while surfing cyberspace or the web. This is to avoid phishing attacks, which usually target important information we have, such as B. Account details or other personal information.
Also, do not download applications that are suspicious or from untrustworthy websites. Always check the addresses of the websites we visit, as criminals often fake websites to lure users.
Use antivirus and app security features
Don’t say “no” to using antivirus on the device you are using such as B. a PC, laptop, or smartphone. As we all know, having an antivirus program installed on a device can protect the device from malware infections.
You can also benefit from security features already provided on applications or devices, such as e.g.
Update apps and delete unused ones
Always pay attention to the applications that are on the device. If there is an update to the latest version, update it immediately because the updated version often aims to reinforce security vulnerabilities from existing insights. Also, remove unused applications, especially applications not run by the developer, to avoid the risk of hacking.
Do not share important information in the digital world
Do not only share important information such as ID cards, photos of travel tickets or passports, QR codes, or personal information such as your birth mother’s name and personal phone number when surfing the Internet or accessing social media.
This is important as cyber criminals have many opportunities to steal identity theft or important information that is ultimately manipulated for various crimes in the digital world such as B. Account break-ins and fraud through stolen identities.
If there is a hack, immediately identify the source e.g. B. an email or application. Then immediately identify and secure the hacked data, for example by contacting the application to reset passwords or change sensitive information in the authentication system.
What are hackers? Hackers are people whose programming skills are capable of breaking through computer security systems or computer networks for specific purposes. A hacker has an advanced understanding of computers, networks, programming, or hardware
If you know what a hacker is, you can understand that hackers are not always synonymous with cyber criminals. In the cyber world, hackers are people who can hack devices such as computers, cell phones, webcams, and routers. Hacking actions that harm specific parties are criminal. However, in certain cases, hackers are people who can also be profitable.
Knowing what a hacker is a today has often sought their services to protect website systems or applications used by a company. These hackers are known as ethical hackers or white hats.
Incidents of data leakage are becoming more common in Indonesia. The latest information is even surprising and reaches a fantastic number, namely the alleged data leak of 1.3 billion SIM card registration data containing personal data such as NIK and phone numbers.
The incident adds to the long list of data leak cases that have occurred in the country, ranging from the alleged leak of bank details in January 2022, medical records of patients in several hospitals, to 26 million browser history data or user searches from an internet service provider.
Cybersecurity expert and President Director of ITSEC Asia Andri Hutama Putra said personal data is now becoming more important as it is vulnerable to misuse. Therefore, the protection of personal data must be understood by all parts of society.
“The protection of personal data must be an important pillar for institutions or companies that collect personal data from individuals in the performance of their activities. However, the protection of personal data must also begin with oneself,” says Andri.
Andri added that many data leaks also occur on an individual level caused by negligence in digital activities. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to how we conduct digital activities to protect our data in cyberspace.
In this regard, ITSEC Asia, as a cybersecurity company, provides several tips for the public to protect personal information in cyberspace at an individual level to avoid the potential threat of data leakage. Here are the tips:
Different email addresses for different needs
There are still many people who use an email address for all their needs, from banking services, transactions, social media, subscriptions, and others. This is very dangerous for the other person’s personal information if the email is attacked.
Any information contained in these emails can be stolen and misused. Therefore, use email addresses for their respective purposes, e.g. B. Using different email addresses between transaction requests and social media.
Use strong passwords and change them regularly
Use strong passwords and avoid easy-to-guess passwords like just your name or date of birth. Mix passwords with capital letters, numbers, or punctuation mark so that they are not easy to guess.
Regarding the use of passwords for every need, change the password regularly. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent personal information from being easily stolen by irresponsible individuals.
Don’t click suspicious links or download apps carelessly
Do not carelessly open any suspicious links or links while surfing cyberspace or the web. This is to avoid phishing attacks, which usually target important information we have, such as B. Account details or other personal information.
Also, do not download applications that are suspicious or from untrustworthy websites. Always check the addresses of the websites we visit, as criminals often fake websites to lure users.
Use antivirus and app security features
Don’t say “no” to using antivirus on the device you are using such as B. a PC, laptop, or smartphone. As we all know, having an antivirus program installed on a device can protect the device from malware infections.
You can also benefit from security features already provided on applications or devices, such as e.g.
Update apps and delete unused ones
Always pay attention to the applications that are on the device. If there is an update to the latest version, update it immediately because the updated version often aims to reinforce security vulnerabilities from existing insights. Also, remove unused applications, especially applications not run by the developer, to avoid the risk of hacking.
Do not share important information in the digital world
Do not only share important information such as ID cards, photos of travel tickets or passports, QR codes, or personal information such as your birth mother’s name and personal phone number when surfing the Internet or accessing social media.
This is important as cyber criminals have many opportunities to steal identity theft or important information that is ultimately manipulated for various crimes in the digital world such as B. Account break-ins and fraud through stolen identities.
If there is a hack, immediately identify the source e.g. B. an email or application. Then immediately identify and secure the hacked data, for example by contacting the application to reset passwords or change sensitive information in the authentication system.
