How Cyber Threats Affect You

Are you wondering how cyber threats affect you? In this blog post, we will answer all of your questions. 

As you may already know, October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. This campaign is internationally recognized and was created to inform the public about the importance of cyber security. This month of blogs is revolved around the themes that the Government of Canada is focusing on. The themes are focused on helping Canadians to be more secure online, be informed and know steps to protect themselves, families, work, and devices. 

The second theme that the Government of Canada has put together is how cyber threats affect you. 

It's important to stay cyber safe all year. Click here to read how you can do this. 

Being able to share our lives online with family and friends is great. However, cyber criminals are finding ways to access our information. 

As Canadians start sharing and storing their information online, we are increasingly becoming targets for cyber threat actors. Our exposure to the cyber threats that are out there increases with the growing number of internet-connected devices. This can include TVs, home appliances, thermostats, and cars. By knowing how cyber threats can affect you, you can be better prepared to protect yourself online. 

You could be a victim of cyber fraud and extortion attempts from cyber criminals. These criminals could use cyber tools and social engineering to extract money or information from people and businesses. 

You might have heard of the below common cyber threats or maybe you have already been a victim of a cyber-attack. Cyber threats can happen to anyone. 

There is good news, so don't get too worried! Even though the range of tools and techniques that are at the disposal of cyber threat criminals are increasing, there are different tools and techniques that businesses and individuals can use to protect against even the most advanced attempts. 

Some Stats: 

• Canadians spend on average 5 hours online per day through a variety of devices
• 93% of Canadians have desktops or laptops
• 76% of Canadians have smartphones
• 58% of Canadians have tablets
• 27% of Canadians have smart TVs
• 21% of Canadians have gaming systems
• 9% of Canadians have smart home devices
• 56% of Canadians reported being a victim of a virus, spyware, or malware
• 12% of Canadians have been a victim of online financial fraud
• 5% of Canadians have been a victim of identity theft from online activity

Common Cyber Threats:

• Denial of service
• Adware
• Ransomware
• Pharming
• Password cracking
• Phishing
• Malware

Cyber Threats Can Impact:

• Your identity
• Your money
• Your data
• Your devices

Understanding how cyber threats can affect you is a step to protect yourself and the workplace online. 

We hope that you have learned more about how cyber threats can affect you. If you have any questions, use the section below. 

Looking to make sure you are even more safe online? Download this free Security Awareness Kit. 

Sources

The Government of Canada. (2019). October 2019 Themes for Cyber Security Awareness Month. Retrieved October 9, 2019 from, https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/csam/thms-en.aspx#wk2

The Government of Canada. (2019). Cyber Security Awareness Month How cyber threats affect you. Retrieved October 9, 2019 from, https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/nfgrphcs/csam-2019/wk2-en.aspx