Don’t panic, but phishing assaults increased by 350% since the pandemic. Phising is one of the most prevalent and effective online con games. To put the scale of the damage it causes into perspective, phishing brings in $1 trillion more a year than Walmart’s total sales. Please, remain calm! When you hear 'phishing,' your first thought that probably comes to mind is 'emails.' Phishing attacks frequently go through emails in the guise of files, PDFs, hyperlinks, and other formats.

Digital safety is a buzzword these days due to the ubiquity of our devices and how much we use them. As we go about our lives, whether we're on our laptops at home or out and about on our phones, we're constantly leaving digital breadcrumbs behind us in the form of data. This data is then collected and used by businesses and potentially even malicious actors to track our movements, better target us with ads or other content, or even for fraud.

Although still in its early stages, the Metaverse is well on its way to becoming a full-blown reality. This monumental achievement was only made possible by the pandemic speeding up the implementation of VR and at-home digital services and by the subsequent penetration of these services among all demographic groups, especially younger people. But as the world steams forward into the great digital unknown, very few people are asking the fundamental question: is the Metaverse what humanity needs right now?

It's that time of year again when ghouls, creeps, ghosts, and goblins take to the streets and scare the living daylights out of regular, everyday folk. None of these monsters compare to something much scarier, much more heinous–hackers! Cybercriminals don't wait until October to wreak havoc on the living, they do it every day, and their cyberattacks become bolder with each passing year. It's difficult to fathom how many cyberattacks actually happen.

Not all hackers are bad. No, really, it's true! We aren't the biggest fan of people who steal your information for nefarious purposes, but there are a ton of upstanding people out there using hacking skills for good. One such person is Agne Marija Bucyte, a Junior Ethical Hacker at Baltic Amadeus who has decided to turn her hacking skills and computer knowledge into her profession.

When you browse the web, use social media, or shop online, you probably don’t think about how your personal information is being safeguarded. However, with so many cyberattacks hitting the news on a frequent basis, this is something that should concern you. You see, hackers can gain access to your personal information if it isn’t properly encrypted and safeguarded. Thankfully, cryptography is here to save the day.

Across the globe, we are all now always connected. People now share, upload, and download information from their phones or computers. Cloud-based storage has become incredibly popular because everything is accessible. And with multiple devices synced, you'll never have to worry about forgetting a file again. However, it's not without risks. If someone gets access to your account credentials, they could potentially view all your data stored in the cloud.

As an employer, you have both a moral and legal obligation to shore up sensitive information about your employees. Sensitive information includes genetic and biometric data, medical records, SNNs (social security numbers), and criminal history records, just to name a few. Fail to do so, and you will open yourself up to loads of risk. Hackers are constantly on the hunt for applicant and employee data that they can further sell on the dark web or use to perpetrate fraud.

While online learning provides many positive opportunities for learners and teachers alike, it is more important than ever to strengthen cybersecurity defenses to deal with new and emerging attacks. As school is back in session, now is a good time to double-check that you’re doing everything necessary to keep your data (and your homework) secure online.