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Information as a commodity has been the main characteristic of the evolving digital age. Computerized technologies have enabled a shift toward inflation of the value of data. One strikingly demonstrated of this trend is in the phenomena of social media. Individuals and businesses voluntarily feed vital details about themselves into these digital services. Machine learning techniques process massive quantities of this information and turn it into invaluable insights that are incredibly empowering for marketers.
An unpleasant by-product of these data-centric developments has been increasing incidents of identity theft and fraud. Criminal misuse of digital information about individuals and other entities has increased substantially. Security measures such as data destruction when recycling or disposing of computer hardware are now a routine practice to limit liabilities. Other important steps for individuals and businesses alike are advised to protect against becoming a victim of cybercrime.
Updating Software and Hardware
Rapidly evolving technologies can result in software and hardware that is lagging current versions. Cybercriminals are constantly identifying vulnerabilities in older systems. Maintaining the latest generations of computing assets is simply not a cost-effective reality for many small businesses and individuals. However, vendors generally do provide software and firmware updates and patches to their customers. Vigilantly monitoring and maintaining systems to the extent possible is one recommended security measure.
Stronger Account Access Security Measures
The advent of cloud computing for hardware resources and software as a service generally involves account access by users. Implementing measures such as 2-step authentication is advisable to reduce unauthorized access to these accounts. When such tools are not available using strong passwords that change frequently is the next-best option.
Professional Virtual Identity Monitoring
One security trend, especially for businesses, is that of employing service providers that monitor virtual identities and accounts. These specialists track a company’s online activities to identify and stop suspicious events that might signal unauthorized access attempts by criminals.
Businesses and individuals are increasingly dependent on digital resources. This has elevated cybercrime risk profiles significantly. Proactive implementation of every available security measure, maintaining awareness of this subject and modifying virtual behaviors is part of the reality of the information age.
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