None of the world’s part is free from the threats of cyber crimes. Especially in West, these crimes are picking up light’s speed. Notably, Canada has become the breeding place of cyber crimes. The Canadian servers are the most common prey of the cyber-crooks. Despite many government’s strategies, the rate of cybercrime is still skyrocketing. This calls for the precautionary measures. To adopt by all the netizens in order to be safe from the current threats of cyber crimes in Canada. In this article, we will make you attuned to the tips. That you should follow to prevent increased cyber threats.
San Diego-based Websense Inc, an IT security company, that research and compare the rate of cyber threats across the world, claims that Canada has no more the “squeaky clean” cyber reputation. Instead, the cyber threat has exponentially risen over the past few years and has become a cradle for hackers and cyber crooks. An increasing number of malicious and spammy websites are hosting by Canada’s service provider servers.
This becomes an open invitation for the hackers and cybercriminals to play the shot on a plain ground. However, the government of Canada has taken several stern steps to combat this growing cybercrime, but still, it continues to affect millions of businesses and everyday consumer in Canada. Hence, this is the high time for every Canadian to take their online privacy and security in their hands and adopt the prescribed cyber security tips.
How Much Have Cyber Crimes Affected Canada?
One of the leading cybersecurity company Norton Security underwent a researched based survey to find out the facts and figure about the increased cybercrime in Canada. The numbers that this study found was something really revealing. Here are the findings of that study:
- 42% of adults in Canada experienced cybercrime;
- 7 million netizens of all ages in Canada were cybercrime victims;
- $372 was the average cost of cybercrime per Canadian; and
- $3.5 billion was the total cost of Canadian cybercrime.
Subsequently, if it is not stopped or necessary precautions will not be used, the stats after a couple of years will be more alarming for Canadians. (also read 10 Cyber Security Tips You Need to Know – You may get surprised!)
How A Business Affects by Cyber Crimes In Canada?
Inevitably, the uprising frequency of cyber crimes costs the Canadians businesses millions and billions of dollars, and it is restraining them to keep the pace with rest of world. According to the latest report of Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Cyber Security in Canada: Practical Solutions to a Growing Problem, asserts that cybercrime has become a grave concern for both private and government level businesses in Canada.
“A study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that Canadian businesses are losing over $3 billion a year to cybercrime,” said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President, and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not technology-savvy security experts committing these attacks. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can now disrupt services or hold data for ransom. What costs a criminal $100 may end up costing business millions in lost money, time and reputation.”
The cyber crimes in Canada include phishing, hacking, ransomware, sexual assaults, pornography, malware injection and much more.
How To Prevent Cyber Crimes In Canada?
Following are some important tips that every netizen should take up to avoid the growing risks of cyber crimes in Canada.
Use A VPN:
Using a VPN has now become the most recommendable tip in order to be safe from cyber crimes in Canada. You may have heard about this cyber boon but may not know what it actually does. Singularly, a VPN is a cybersecurity suite that works with the help of a high level of encryption. It is powerful enough to entirely encrypt the internet traffics by sending the traffic through an encrypted VPN tunnel.
This encryption prevents the user from snooping and hacking risk because nobody can intercept the traffic going through the VPN tunnel due to military level encryption. Moreover, it conceals your IP address and does not allow anybody to track you over the internet. (also see 5 Best VPN For Canada 2017)
Since the growing risk of cyber attacks in Canada does not seem to be stopping, it is highly recommended to use a VPN to prevent your data and avoid any security breach. Be it businesses or casual consumers, everyone out there in Canada is at the high risk of cyber crimes. So, it is better to shield your network with a VPN.
Spread the Awareness of Cybercrime:
Sometimes, ignorance causes enormous damages to oneself. Creating awareness of cyber crimes in Canada and its precautions is an essential step to minimize the risk of cyber attacks. If you are an everyday consumer, then you should make your family aware of the threats that they may encounter while using the internet.
Train your kids never to trust anyone over the internet with their personal information. Never share pictures, address, phone number, password with anyone over the web. As a parent, do not leave the child unattended in front of a computer with internet. Tell them how important it is to be careful when they go online.
Besides, if you run a business, train your employees to adopt good internet hygiene. Arrange sessions every while and then on the internet and network security so that you will not fall victim to cyber crimes like ransomware. (also read 7 Ways to Avoid Being Hacked)
Avoid Free WiFi:
There is no denying the fact that how much risks an open Wifi brings with it. It sounds pretty much cool to get a free Wifi in malls, coffee shops, etc., but unknowingly, you are inviting the awaited cyber crooks to inject malware into your system. So, always avoid using public Wifi as there is a high chance of cyber attacks on the public network.
Install An Antivirus:
Using security software to be protected from the threats of cyber crimes is the most common tip to use. Always go for some highly reputable antivirus that is capable enough to scan, notify and kill the viruses before they get worse.
Use Firewall:
Although firewall does not guarantee your system the 100% protection still it is recommendable to use when you connect to the internet. It is the software that handles the threats coming from a network, and every netizen should always enable it.
Regularly Update the Security Software:
Updating the security software is something to do on a regular basis. It is because the security software tends to be inefficient if not updated correctly. As the threats of cyber crimes are growing, by and large, the security software needs to get upgraded in order to combat with the latest viruses and malware. So, do not forget to update your antivirus or other security suites to prevent your system from cyber crimes in Canada.
Be Prepared For the Worst:
In addition to the above precautions, it is also necessary to be ready for the worst, in case you fall victim to any of cyber crimes in Canada. Following are the tips to mitigate cyber attacks.
Download Intrusion Detector:
Intrusion detector is a software that comes in handy when your system falls victim to invasion. It detects in no time when there is an intrusion attempt made on your computer. This way you can at least be attuned to the fact that your PC is no more a safe place where you can keep your data and personal information. So, keep an intrusion detector running on your PC.
Back-Up Your Data:
Backing up the sensitive and crucial data is the most important step so as not to lose your data or pay ransom to retrieve it. Always store the back-up of your data on any reputable cloud storage or USB. Remember not to sync this back-up with your PC.
Limit the Access To Sensitive Data:
The more you restrict the access to your valuable data, the less likely it is to fall prey. If the sensitive data of your company is only accessible by you or few more trustworthy employees, then the chances of data loss or security breach minimize. The more employee accesses your data, the less safe it becomes, as it is not practically possible to keep a check on everybody working in your firm.
Get A Security Expert:
In case you fall victim to any cyber attack like ransomware or others, immediately consult a cybersecurity expert. It is better to let the specialist do their work, rather than taking things into your hands and making the matter worse.
Conclusion-How to Prevent Increased Cyber Crimes in Canada?
Undeniably, Canadians are one of the nations that are the frequent targets of the cyber-criminals. The country struggles in combating the common cyber threats and even an ordinary netizen encounters the issues like phishing, hacking, malware injection, etc. very frequently. So, stop relying on the authorities to do something, take the security of your data in your hand and feel free and safe over the internet with no threat of cyber crimes in Canada.
