Cyber Situational Awareness
It’s no secret that the internet is a dangerous place if you’re careless. You need to be aware of our surroundings in order to stay safe and secure online.
What we might not realize is that this same concept of situational awareness applies just as much in the digital world as it does in real world. Let’s take a look at how the same principles apply online.
What is Situational Awareness?
Situational awareness is the ability to recognize potential dangers and risks before they occur. It involves being aware of your environment and understanding how different factors can affect your safety. This includes being aware of who or what could pose a threat, as well as any external factors that could influence your security situation (such as weather conditions).
In both real life and on the internet, it’s important to have a sense of your surroundings in order to make informed decisions about how you should act or respond in a given situation.
Why Is It Important?
It’s important to have situational awareness because it allows us to identify potential threats before they become an issue. On the internet, this means keeping track of suspicious activity or cyberattacks — both from people you know and from strangers—and responding accordingly by taking steps to protect yourself from harm.
Being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to cybersecurity will help you stay one step ahead of any malicious actors looking for an opportunity to exploit you or your data.
How Can You Develop Situational Awareness Online?
Developing situational awareness online starts with understanding what type of information is available about you on the internet, and then taking steps to protect that data from malicious actors.
This includes making sure all passwords are unique and secure, using two-factor authentication whenever possible, regularly changing passwords, disabling public access rights if applicable, and avoiding clicking on links or downloading attachments sent by unknown senders.
Additionally, monitoring activity logs can give you insight into who has accessed your accounts or devices without authorization so that you can take immediate action if necessary.
Having situational awareness online is just as important as having it in real world — if not more so due to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybercrime tactics used by adversaries today. Having an understanding of your digital environment will help keep you safe from harm while also helping protect valuable data assets from malicious actors looking for an opportunity to exploit them for their own gain.
With proper training and understanding of safety protocols online, anyone can develop strong cyber situational awareness skills—no matter their level experience with technology.