Remember back when the only concern for our privacy was if someone were to look into our journal or diary? Those times seem so distant now. With all of the technology we have today, our privacy seems to be easier to retrieve and easier to disperse. What exactly is cybersecurity and how can we be prevent suspicious activity?

Cybersecurity is defined as, “precautions taken to guard against crime that involves the Internet, especially unauthorized access to computer systems and data connected to the Internet”. With us being so connected, this increases the chances of theft, fraud, and abuse with our personal information. Recently, my Facebook account was attempted to be compromised by a user in South Korea. Thankfully, Facebook recognized the suspicious login, locked them out, and sent me a notification. I changed my password and had to fix all of the other applications my Facebook was logged into such as Facebook Messenger and Spotify. That really gave me a wakeup call as to how easily someone from anywhere in the world can get ahold of information.

Online privacy and cybersecurity seems to be a hot topic in today’s news: from Russia’s hacks of U.S. government sites to leaks of vital information. It even has come up in discussion through the debates of presidential candidates and what they would do to reform our laws. But what can we do, as citizens, to help prevent attacks and keep our information safe?

There are some simple tips to keep in mind when sharing information online. The simplest tip is to use strong passwords and be careful when using public Wi-Fi. Think about what you post because you never know who might see it. Set your privacy settings to how much information you want others to see. Switch to multiple factor identification to help prevent unauthorized access. Do not share financial information or any sensitive information, such as your social security number.