How can you stay secure during cyber warfare?

The first half of 2022 was alarming. At least a few new records of cybercrime have been set since the beginning of the year.

The war between Ukraine and Russia has intensified the sense of insecurity, including cyber security threats. The world has witnessed cyber warfare on an unprecedented scale and intensity. Not only companies but regular people suddenly became targets of cyber threats.

Consequently, almost 70% of organizations have started to prioritize cybersecurity and increased their cybersecurity budget.

Yet, what can you, as a regular internet user, do? How can you protect yourself from increasing cyber threats during cyber warfare?

What is cyber warfare ?

Cyber warfare is the actions performed by a nation-state or international organization against an enemy state to disrupt or damage the infrastructure of the other country. It is usually targeted at governmental entities but is not limited to.

Even companies or individual citizens can become an unintentional fruitful target during cyber warfare.

The original concept of cyber warfare is quite old and was never limited to any two specific countries. In the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th and the ongoing war, the relevance and people’s interest increased significantly.

During the first three months of 2022, the levels of DDoS attacks broke a new record, making both countries suffer vastly.

The other means of cyber warfare carried out during this crisis were espionage, misinformation, and propaganda.

What does cyber warfare mean for regular people?

Many people believe that during cyber warfare, only governmental organizations are the target. Companies and individual internet users imply they are not the main interest of cybercriminals so that they can relax.

And yet, cyber warfare affects everyone.

While not directly, even regular people can become a target of cybercriminals. So, what should you be aware of?

Daily disruptions

A large-scale data breach and other cyber warfare-related cybercrime always have their consequences.

For instance, in 2021, the Russia-related hackers’ group allegedly targeted the US-based oil pipeline system Colonial Pipeline with a ransomware attack. At that time, the company provided around 45% of oil to the East Coast. After the attack, many gasoline filling stations had no fuel for several days, causing disruption and panic for many US citizens.

The Russo-Ukrainian war and sanctions imposed by the European Union reduced global gas supplies. Therefore, the gas prices in the US and Europe reached record highs, affecting many people daily.

Phishing attacks

March 2022 was the worst month due to phishing attacks. In that month alone, the number of attacks reached 384,291.

The attacks on individual users were mainly carried out through emails, SMS, and, differently from last year, on social media.

For instance, in Singapore, at least 415 victims have fallen to SMS-based phishing scams.

The users received an SMS message informing them about their parcel delivery. Once they clicked on a fraudulent link, they were asked to log into a fake website and provide credit card details. Estimates suggest that people lost at least $574,000.

Misinformation

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to massive misinformation campaigns targeting individual users and reaching them via social media.

Some media sources suggested considering the Russo-Ukrainian war the first social media war. Rapidly spreading misinformation confuses, distorts people’s beliefs, and encourages discrimination, violence, and hate speech.

Without critical thinking skills and continuous questioning, everyone can become a target of manipulations and fraud.

How can you keep yourself cyber-safe?

In a cyber war, it is critically important to make an active effort to protect yourself.

Here are the three main areas you should start prioritizing today.

• Beware of social engineering attacks

As mentioned above, such social engineering attacks as phishing massively target regular internet users.

Mind the risk and learn to recognize such attacks. Then, educate children, parents, and older neighbors. After all, it can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

• Keep excellent password hygiene

A strong password can protect you against a cyber threat without you knowing about it. So better make all your passwords strong. Update your credentials – use only long and complex ones. ( Here are some tips on creating a strong password.)

Then, never reuse the same password on multiple websites. One hacked password provides instant access to dozens of accounts.

Last, whenever possible, turn on two-factor authentication. It can block around 99% of unauthorized logins.

• Raise cybersecurity awareness

As an employer, raise cybersecurity awareness and introduce everyday practices and tools that can radically minimize the risks to your business’s security, operation, and reputation.

Conduct periodic cyber security training and let employees feel the importance of their personal contribution.

During cyber warfare, you are as safe as you are prepared to be.