New Year's Cyber Resolutions

Originally published in El Español - QuinceMil

Going to the gym, quitting smoking, reading more this year; we load ourselves up with resolutions at this time of year and at last we see the back of 2024. Surely only better things can come…

And, dear reader, I hope that happens to you in every area of your life. However, allow me to be a bit of a “Grinch” when it comes to cybersecurity…

The thing is, cybercriminals are not going to leave anyone in peace. Bear in mind that they make their living out of making other people miserable.

Right now, as we speak, they are trying to scam us with fake job offers on WhatsApp, getting us to invest in fake cryptocurrencies on Instagram or pretending to be our banks by text message…

They even took advantage of the DANA flood disaster to pose as charities and steal our money!

Next year online fraud will still be the second most reported crime, that is if it doesn’t reach number 1 and knock theft off the top spot, because reporting it is the only tool we will have to put them behind bars.

Even so, there is hope, and I trust that together we can stop them and avoid having to make that report in the first place.

Let’s use common sense on social media, because nobody gives you something for nothing; let’s be wary of anything that sounds off and, without a doubt, let’s turn to cybersecurity professionals whenever we have doubts…

There’s even a free phone line for this sort of thing: 017, from Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), Spain’s free cybersecurity helpline.

If you still have some shopping to do over the next few days, let’s check it’s the genuine website and only use secure payment platforms, such as prepaid virtual cards; forget Bizum and bank transfers. Oh! And track your order, because genuine companies will always give you tracking…

From here, I wish you a happy 2025, with your antivirus, your password manager and two-factor authentication switched on!

Originally published on LinkedIn on 30 December 2024.