Protect your privacy: stop hackers before they stop you

PrivacyPolicies have put together a nifty infographic to help businesses and individuals protect their privacy and stop hackers before they stop you.

More of our lives are online as technology becomes more advanced. As a result, it’s crucial to know how to protect yourself from hackers and online predators. But you can’t do that without understanding what you’re protecting yourself from.

Many hackers are just tech-savvy thieves with money as their motive, but that’s not always the case. Hackers have highly diverse motives. There are hackers who are trying to pull publicity stunts or fight for a worthy (or not-so-worthy) cause. There are others out to attack business or personal rivals. Still others want to practice their hacking skills out of a sense of curiosity or just for fun.

With all these motives, you could easily end up as someone’s target.

Even though money may not be their motive, hackers are still thieves of information. Just like any thief, a hacker will choose the most vulnerable targets they can find. But instead of using lock picks to steal from your home or business, they use software to steal your personal data.

Hackers will often try to glean information such as credit card numbers or bank account information. They may use that information themselves, or sell it to the highest bidder. They may also try to get enough personal data to steal your identity — enough to open a new credit account or take out a loan in your name, leaving you on the hook to pay the balance, and damaging your credit score for years to come.

Unfortunately, many people often make hackers’ jobs easy for them. Hackers can easily plant viruses on computers to automatically steal information, or use phishing to con you into handing over your information willingly.

While ignorance can make you an easy target, learning about hackers, their tools and motives, and how to protect yourself makes you someone they’re more likely to avoid. Just like how increasing your home security makes thieves less likely to break into your house, levelling up your computer security skills will turn hackers away as they seek easier targets.

Check out the graphic below to find out what hackers are after — and how you can protect yourself.

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