Why cybersecurity is important

In an era ruled by the web, cyber security’s importance can not be overlooked and should always be in the back of our minds. As our lives on the internet grow more and more each day, this is something that is quintessential and should be more of a conversation, especially during October, which is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 

Let’s face it, we live on our phones and computers. Most of us pick up our phone from the moment we wake up and have it with us from the moment we go to bed. This is something a lot of people don’t want to admit but we, as a society, are addicted. 

Our lives live on the internet in the form of social media, our experiences are locked up in the forms of thousands of pictures digitally, our private conversations are now shared through text, SnapChat and more, our future is held in the palm in our hand as we navigate opportunities, internships and jobs through our emails and our money is ‘locked’ up in online bank accounts. 

Without adequate protection, this could be taken from us in an instant. Our private lives could be exposed to all, our futures could be ruined and our money could be simply taken from us before we have any way of reacting to these issues. 

Hackers can use these things against us and use our lives for personal gain in the form of blackmail: something completely morally and legally wrong but is the reality we live in as the internet grows. 

One way to combat this is to change your passwords frequently. Every six months, the university makes each student change their StarID password. When changing passwords make sure to change other passwords of sites they frequently use. Changing passwords throughout the year makes logins more secure. 

Another way to maintain good cyber security is to make various strong passwords. Each login should be different and personalized. Always use uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters when switching passwords. 

One last way to keep good cyber security is to simply think before you click. Oftentimes websites, emails or ads can be sketchy and it is valuable to know what not to click on. Always be aware of what things you are putting your personal information into. Giving information to untrusted sites can compromise yourself and potentially put one at risk of being hacked. 

As we keep progressing farther into a technological world, it is of utmost importance that we as a society continue to bring awareness and pursue good cyber security.