The world in which we live is so unsafe now especially for those who have limited knowledge about the computer networks that surround us. We have become so vulnerable and are constantly exposed to unimaginable risks and attacks from unexpected sources. Things like computers and cell phones that we have become completely dependent upon for achieving our academic and professional goals as well as emotional satisfaction, are the ones that pose the greatest risk too.
Huge amount of data of world’s population is present on the internet through social media platforms, online shopping, online banking, and personal cloud/drive storage etc. The companies who are in charge of these platforms or services can easily access the data and may misuse it. Although, it is stated in their terms and conditions that the data will not be sold to any third party, we would never know if they secretly do so. Office and home security companies can also exploit their power by spying on people through their cameras. Considering the advancement in technology and cyber crimes, even if we assume they won’t do anything against the goodwill of people, their databases and servers are never completely protected from external invaders and hackers. An example of such a case is that the ride-hailing service Careem admitted in its blog in April 2018 that its customer’s names, email addresses, phone numbers and along with their trip records were hacked.
If we are using any new technology, we should be careful about it and try to become aware of its mechanism and working. We should also avoid putting any sensitive data on online platforms and applications, unless we can trust them completely.
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