More than 600 million cyberattacks target Windows users every day

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Cyberattacks are more common than ever, and if you’re a Windows user, you’re probably feeling the impact more than others. Hackers are still targeting Windows PCs, and you’ve probably seen reports about how system vulnerabilities allow bad actors to access your personal and financial information. However, if you want to understand the number of cyberattacks Windows users face every day, you would be shocked to learn that the number is well over 600 million. This proves that cyberattacks are on the rise more than ever.

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What you need to know

Microsoft recently released its annual Digital Defense Report for 2024, revealing the state of the cybersecurity world. “Over the past year, the cyber threat landscape has become more dangerous and complex. The world’s bad actors are now better resourced and better prepared, with increasingly sophisticated tactics, techniques and tools that challenge even the world’s best cybersecurity defenders. the company said.

Microsoft even claims to have been the victim of well-orchestrated attacks by determined adversaries with sufficient resources, and their “Customers face more than 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks every day, ranging from ransomware to phishing to identity attacks.”

It’s not just ordinary users who are affected by these attacks. Hackers also attack government agencies, businesses, and organizations. The U.S. healthcare system alone reportedly faced 389 successful cyberattacks this fiscal year, causing network shutdowns and delays in critical medical procedures.

The Redmond-based company also emphasizes that the growing threat of cyberattacks no longer comes only from traditional cybercriminals. Nation states are stepping up their game in the cyber world, with more advanced techniques, through greater investments in resources and training. These state-sponsored hackers don’t just steal data: they launch ransomware, set up backdoors for future attacks, sabotage operations, and carry out influence campaigns. According to Microsoft, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are the main players.

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Most attacks target your password

Microsoft claims that 99% of identity attacks are password attacks. They rely on predictable human behaviors, such as selecting easy-to-guess passwords, reusing them across multiple websites, and falling prey to phishing attacks. This shows the importance of using a reliable password manager.

A password manager helps you avoid common mistakes that make you an easy target for hackers. It stores all your passwords securely, generates strong, unique passwords for each site, and autofills them when needed, so you don’t have to remember or reuse weaker ones. Plus, it protects you from phishing attacks by ensuring that you only connect to the right sites. All this reduces the risk of your accounts being hacked and keeps your data secure.

One of the best password managers on the market is 1Password. With no known security flaws or vulnerabilities, 1Password is a solid option as a paid password manager. It uses a well-designed interface, which includes the basic components expected from premium and paid password managers. At the time of publication, this is starting to $2.99 ​​per month, billed annuallyfor a total of $35.88/year, and you can save more with a family option, which includes 5 family members for $60/year. Get more details about my best password managers rated by experts of 2024 here.

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6 ways to protect yourself from cyberattacks

1) Enable two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security across all your important accounts, including email, banking, and social media. 2FA requires you to provide a second piece of information, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password when logging in. This makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts, even if they know your password. Enabling 2FA can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect your sensitive data.

2) Monitor your accounts and transactions: You should regularly check your online accounts and transactions for suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it immediately to the service provider or authorities. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are signs of identity theft or fraud.

3) Contact your bank and credit card companies: If you think hackers have obtained your banking or credit card information, they could use it to make purchases or withdrawals without your consent. You should inform your bank and credit card companies of the situation. They can help you freeze or cancel your cards, dispute any fraudulent charges, and issue new cards for you.

You should also contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit report. This will make it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name without verification. You can even freeze your credit if necessary.

4) Use personal data deletion services: Consider investing in personal data removal services that specialize in monitoring and continuously removing your personal information from various online databases and websites. These services use advanced tools and techniques to identify and remove your data from people search sites, data brokers and other platforms where your information may be exposed. By using a data removal service, you can minimize the risk of identity theft and fraud, especially after a data breach. Additionally, these services often provide ongoing monitoring and alerts, keeping you informed of any new instances of your data appearing online and taking immediate action to remove them.

A service like Unknown can help you remove all this personal information from the Internet. It has a very clean interface and will scan 195 websites for your information, delete it and keep it deleted.

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5) Sign up for identity theft protection: Identity theft protection companies can monitor personal information such as your title deed, social security number (SSN), phone number, and email address and alert you if it is used to open an account. They can also help you freeze your bank and credit card accounts to prevent unauthorized use by criminals.

One of the best parts of using Identity Guard includes identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal costs and a white glove fraud resolution team where a US based case manager helps you recover all losses.

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6) Have powerful antivirus software: The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to install antivirus software on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, protecting your personal information and digital assets.

My first choice is TotalAVand you can get a Limited time offer for CyberGuy readers: $19 for the first year (80% off) for the TotalAV Antivirus Pro package.

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Windows flaw allows hackers to sneak into your PC via Wi-Fi

Kurt’s key point

Cyberattacks are becoming more and more dangerous, and hackers are much better equipped to carry out the perfect attack. They even use AI and deepfakes to make everything seem more legitimate. Add to that the fact that many of these attacks are backed by nation states, and it’s clear that we need to step up our cybersecurity game: additional investment is absolutely necessary. On the bright side, Microsoft managed to block around 1.25 million DDoS attacks, four times more than last year. This shows that they are working hard to provide users with a safer experience.

Do you think AI and deepfakes will make it more difficult to detect cyberthreats? Let us know in the comments below.

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