Aren’t we lazy with cyber hygiene?

Well just last week the President made a proclamation about  our laziness to the South African brothers and sisters, but are we really lazy?  Many will argue that Uganda has become a hustler nation where everyone is working tooth and nail to make ends meet despite the unfavourable conditions. Even my village chap has beat the odds to own a smart phone to access internet.

To me the President’s statement got me thinking of how lazy we have become with our gadgets. According to a report by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the level of internet penetration has grown over the years with 46 percent of the population having access through mobile phones. The numbers have kept on increasing over time.

We have become receptors of every kind of information circulated via the internet. We open every link shared with dubious or attractive offers without questioning the authenticity. We are too lazy even to go an extra mile to verify, our reluctant minds tell us to quickly share links to as many contacts as possible in the name of hitting the target to win that prize.

Even the elites will care less about a notification “Accept all cookies?”, he /she quickly accepts and proceeds to open up content on a website. Any way who cares, What are cookies? If we talk about reading privacy policies, how many are bothered by the “little details “surrendered to that application. We are obsessed with having our profiles running and securing followers and likes. This laziness has led to poor cyber security hygiene on our gadgets, making us vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

Our laziness has to some extent proliferated data breaches, phishing, ransomware, spyware and malware attacks that expose our sensitive information such as personal data and financial information. Hostile, intrusive, and intentionally nasty, malware seeks to invade, damage, or disable computers, computer systems, networks, tablets, and mobile devices, often by taking partial control over a device’s operations. Like the human flu, it interferes with normal functioning.

Although malware cannot damage the physical hardware of systems or network equipment, it can steal, encrypt, or delete your data, alter or hijack core computer functions, and spy on your computer activity without your knowledge or permission.

Malware can penetrate your computer when you surf through hacked websites, view a legitimate site serving malicious ads, download infected files, install programmes or apps from unfamiliar providers, open a malicious email attachment or pretty much everything else you download from the web on to a device that lacks a quality anti-malware security application.

Malicious apps can hide in seemingly legitimate applications, especially when they are downloaded from websites or direct links (in an email, text, or chat message) instead of an official app store. Here it’s important to look at the warning messages when installing applications, especially if they seek permission to access your email or other personal information.

Well, you may have realised that the operating speed of your gadget has reduced. One of malware’s side effects is to reduce the speed of your operating system (OS), whether you’re navigating the internet or just using your local applications, usage of your system’s resources appears abnormally high. You might even notice your computer’s fan whirring away at full speed—a good indicator that something is taking up system resources in the background.

Your screen is inundated with annoying ads. Unexpected pop-up ads are a typical sign of a malware infection. Whatever is taking up system resources in the background. Whatever free prize the ad promises, it will cost you plenty.

Therefore, keep your operating system and applications updated. Cyber criminals look for vulnerabilities in old or outdated software, so make sure you install updates as soon as they become available. Never click on a link in a popup. Simply close the message and navigate away from the site that generated it. Limit the number of apps on your devices. Only install apps you think you need and will use regularly. And if you no longer use an app, uninstall it.

Lastly let’s not forget to use web security solutions available to monitor the various sites accessed for any form of malware. As malware and adware campaigns continue to infect mobile applications, make sure your mobile devices are prepared for any threat coming their way. A vulnerability on a device explored can compromise your personal data and organisation’s information. Your device is your world, don’t be lazy to ensure its proper hygiene!

Solomon Murungi, Legal Associate at Muhumuza

Kiiza Advocates & Legal Consultants.