Capstone Proposal- Methods of Increasing a User’s Cybersecurity

Users should be enlightened on how to identify vulnerabilities and avoid them as a method of protecting them from cyberattacks. For example, users should know the dangers of sharing or exposing their passwords (Jang-Jaccard & Nepal, 2014). If a malicious person gets access to a user’s password, he could exploit the user’s account and possibly other accounts. For example, in a virtual environment, if a hacker gets access to one virtual machine, he could use it to exploit the host or hypervisor, hence, sabotaging the entire virtual environment. Users should also identify unusual activities that could be a threat to cybersecurity and report them. For example, emails from unknown persons requesting a user to click on a link should be a red flag.

Another cyber protection method would be availing the option of two-factor authentication for user accounts (Jang-Jaccard & Nepal, 2014). This would keep hackers at bay. Users would also be allowed to change their passwords at will and reminders for password change would be sent to users who go for a long time without changing passwords.

Data backup can be used to protect users from cybercriminals. For example, if a system is compromised or crashed, system recovery would be done using data backup. This would ensure that users continue using the system as though it never crashed because data would not be lost.

All systems should be protected using firewalls and other cybersecurity measures to ensure that users’ information is not illegally obtained. For example, internet banking should always be done behind a firewall and https links to secure transactions (Reddy & Reddy, 2014). Users should be advised to ensure that they are on the right link to avoid phishing.

References

Jang-Jaccard, J., & Nepal, S. (2014). A survey of emerging threats in cybersecurity. Journal of Computer and System Sciences, 80(5), 973-993. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022000014000178

Reddy, G. N., & Reddy, G. J. (2014). A STUDY OF CYBER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND ITS EMERGING TRENDS ON LATEST TECHNOLOGIES. International Journal of Engineering and Technology – UK, 4(1), 1-7. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260126665_A_Study_Of_Cyber_Security_Challenges_And_Its_Emerging_Trends_On_Latest_Technologies

Seemma, P. S., Nandhini, S., & Sowmiya, M. (2018). Overview of Cyber Security. IJARCCE, 7(11), 125-128. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329678338_Overview_of_Cyber_Security