‘Cyber area’ poses digital threat to users

ISTANBUL

Even if one doesn’t visit a dangerous website or click on a link, attackers can break into the device and hijack data, a cyber security specialist has warned.

The Internet has introduced a platform called “cyber space,” which has enormous effects even on social lives.

Though it saves time and provides convenience in many issues, this space also exposes its users to digital risks and threats.

Mert Özarar, cyber security director of HAVELSAN, one of the largest technology companies in Türkiye, stated that there are various versions of cyber-attacks and fraud, noting that there is a risk for every phone, tablet, computer user.

Social engineering attacks made in the forms of “you won a prize,” or “click to receive your gift,” called phishing, constitute the most common type of cyber-attacks, Özarar underlined that password security is important in this sense.

“When password security is not taken into account, people’s e-mails, their private data in the cloud, their digital accounts or their material assets can be seized,” Özarar explained.

“When people do not constantly monitor the security of the computers and mobile devices they use, do not activate the updated operating system and security patches on time, and click on links that do not seem secure or inspire trust, their devices are infected with malicious software. Then, malware silently operates in the background on the system, threatening digital security in all its dimensions.”

On the other hand, even someone who does not click on suspicious links or does not visit unsafe websites may have their digital security breached and their information accessed, Özarar warned.