Cybersecurity: What’s Trending in 2017

Cybersecurity issues have not slowed down over the years. With so many innovations cropping up year after year, it could be said that we’re only just starting to grasp what our tech can accomplish.

Certain events have made this state of affairs possible. The ever-increasing presence of tech in our daily lives, the movement towards a more networked future and recent world events have made the question of cyber security more important than ever.

The question of privacy

Privacy is the most crucial issue facing security companies today – and their users as well. Data breaches have proved more and more intrusive, and no longer limited to harmless pranks. Cyber security threats in the past year have ranged from government shutdowns to vicious personal attacks on private, if popular, individuals.

While it may be tempting to dismiss these events as things that can only affect the rich and powerful, everyday users should also remain constantly vigilant. While using the internet, most people leave behind a trail of information that might seem trivial, but in the wrong hands could be used for criminal purposes.

This question, “Is anything on the internet really private?” may not be satisfactorily answered, but we can certainly help create a safer space for us to operate in. Taking basic steps to protect your identity and avoiding behaviour that can put you at risk goes a long way in helping you be safe online.

Overwatched

It isn’t only criminals who’ve come under fire for invading privacy – some countries are starting to pass laws that infringe on the basic right to keep your information to yourself.

For example, the United States has faced increasing criticism for allowing their ISPs to have near impunity in dictating the traffic that they process from their servers to their clients. While the obvious issue would be the bias that such a process would give to the ISP, another is simply the effect of what would happen if your information is constantly watched and noted by someone who controls your connection.

Especially in the field of social media, oversharing – or sharing in general – becomes less of a personal matter and more of a general problem that faces all users. With platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all encouraging us to share our information, photos and data with the guarantee that they’ll be safe and protected, who watches the data that we give them?

Awareness of cyber security – threats, developments, and issues

Ultimately it falls to the user to make their way out of this situation. As people who use the internet, we must develop an ethic about sharing information or details about our lives in a responsible manner.

Cyber security trends are increasingly looking towards a future where this ethic will be important: that with all these tools are our disposal, we should assume a more active role in protecting ourselves.

Hotspot Shield is a VPN that packs a punch when it comes to internet security, with a ton of features for your online privacy and security such as data encryption, anonymous browsing, malware protection, and Wi-Fi security. It also lets you access any restricted website on the internet.

It’s available for free on Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. You can also check out our blog to see our other posts about content access and cyber security.