World Internaut Day: Navigating digital realm safely begins with understanding threat landscape

• As Statista underscores, a substantial portion of the global population, over two-thirds to be precise, is deeply embedded in the digital ecosystem, spending an average of 6.4 hours online every day.
• The past year witnessed an alarming 38% surge in cyberattacks, underscoring the absolute necessity for vigilant and proactive online security.

As the digital world celebrates World Internaut Day, it’s crucial to reflect on our journey. With a remarkable 5.16 billion active internet users, which translates to 64.4% of the global populace, the figures from WeAreSocial aptly depict the internet’s profound impact on our lives.

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Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, seizes this occasion to both laud the internet’s revolutionary influence and sound a warning bell about burgeoning cyber threats.

As shown by Statista studies, a large proportion of users around the world said they could not “imagine their life without the Internet”, actively connected to the network for an average of up to 6.4 hours a day.

The digital age, while bringing countless benefits, is not devoid of perils. As Check Point Research meticulously highlights, there’s been a 38% escalation in cyberattacks in just the past year. Cybercriminals today are far more cunning and versatile, deploying an array of tactics, such as:

• Child Targeted Malware: Children, despite their commendable tech-savviness, are vulnerable. Malicious apps, cleverly camouflaged under familiar brands or characters, pose substantial threats.
• Business Phishing: Cyber adversaries craftily impersonate trusted entities, using deceptive emails and counterfeit websites, all with the aim of pilfering crucial data.
• Social Media Deceptions: Social platforms are rife with fake giveaways and contests, cunningly designed to mislead users into inadvertently parting with their personal information.
• Phone Scams: Voice scams, often preying on the elderly, capitalize on the perceived intimacy and immediacy of voice communication to deceive.
• IoT Breaches: The proliferation of connected devices, though revolutionary, has inadvertently provided cyber miscreants with new gateways for unauthorized data infiltration.

To fortify one’s online presence, Check Point Software offers a compilation of six vital security tips:

1. Consistent Updates: Keeping all software, from OS to applications, updated ensures protection against known vulnerabilities.
2. Robust Password Hygiene: Crafting unique passwords, an amalgamation of letters, numbers, and symbols, is fundamental.
3. Leverage 2FA: Bolster account security by enabling a secondary verification layer, typically via email or SMS.
4. Vigilance with Apps: Exercise discernment when installing apps, opting only for those from verified, trusted sources.
5. Steer Clear of Unknown Attachments: Unsolicited files, however benign they seem, could be Trojan horses. Caution is advised.
6. Public Wi-Fi Discretion: Public networks, often devoid of robust security, are fertile grounds for cyber breaches. It’s prudent to limit sensitive activities on such networks.

As Pankaj Bhula, EMEA Regional Director: Africa at Check Point Software Technologies remarks, “The internet, while transformative, is a double-edged sword. It’s up to us, the users, to wield it judiciously. The first step towards robust online safety is knowledge. Armed with awareness, we can navigate the digital realm confidently, minimizing risks.”