Security is—and always has been—a core concern for human beings. Even though we’re far less concerned about finding shelter and fending off saber-tooth tigers these days, the modern world brings a bunch of new worries, mainly due to the advances intechnology.The members of the sprawling AskReddit communityrecentlyspilled the beans about the security measures that they believe everyone should take, but often don’t. Scroll down to read their thoughts, including physical safety, how toavoid scams, and reminders to back up your important files and update your passwords.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Security is—and always has been—a core concern for human beings. Even though we’re far less concerned about finding shelter and fending off saber-tooth tigers these days, the modern world brings a bunch of new worries, mainly due to the advances intechnology.
The members of the sprawling AskReddit communityrecentlyspilled the beans about the security measures that they believe everyone should take, but often don’t. Scroll down to read their thoughts, including physical safety, how toavoid scams, and reminders to back up your important files and update your passwords.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Not posting pictures of our vacations while actively on them, wait till you’re home.
RELATED:
The same people who scream the government is tracking them are the same people who will install a tracking app on their phones to get a discount at a store they visit once.
According to Statista, data breaches—security incidents that expose confidential and sensitive information to unauthorized parties—rankamong the top concerns company leaders have. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, 422.61 million data records were leaked in breaches. This impacted millions of people globally.“These incidents are complex; they impact individuals, organizations, and government entities, sometimes simultaneously. Because of how precious human attention is, companies want to have as much information as possible about consumers, and they’re ready to pay a high amount of money to those who gather this information. Thus, individuals’ personal data goes a long way, and can end up in the hands of cybercriminals,” Statista explains.AAGreportsthat, in 2024, data breaches cost the average business a whopping $4.88 million. In the United Kingdom, around half of all businesses experienced some form of cyber attack in 2023. In the first half of 2022, over 236 million ransomware attacks occurred around the world. And back in 2021, around half of American internet users had their accounts breached.
According to Statista, data breaches—security incidents that expose confidential and sensitive information to unauthorized parties—rankamong the top concerns company leaders have. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, 422.61 million data records were leaked in breaches. This impacted millions of people globally.
“These incidents are complex; they impact individuals, organizations, and government entities, sometimes simultaneously. Because of how precious human attention is, companies want to have as much information as possible about consumers, and they’re ready to pay a high amount of money to those who gather this information. Thus, individuals’ personal data goes a long way, and can end up in the hands of cybercriminals,” Statista explains.
AAGreportsthat, in 2024, data breaches cost the average business a whopping $4.88 million. In the United Kingdom, around half of all businesses experienced some form of cyber attack in 2023. In the first half of 2022, over 236 million ransomware attacks occurred around the world. And back in 2021, around half of American internet users had their accounts breached.
Please don’t answer those “fun questions” on Facebook that originate from some random group you’ve never heard of before, like “Who was your first grade teacher?” “Your first concert?”, etc. These are generally password reset questions.
Be aware of your surroundings when outside. Every now and again just take a glance behind you and to the sides. It’s surprising the amount of people that are just oblivious to the world around them.
Stop wearing headphones or air pods all the time. Being able to hear what’s around you might save your life.
Cybersecurity andscamsare massive concerns. The former has been an issue since the dawn of the computer age, while the latter are as old as time itself. And it’s likely that the fight against scammers and other malicious actors will never be won.As technology improves, criminals get access to new tools and come up with new ways to weasel people out of their hard-earned cash and private data. However, security professionals come up with new security protocols, too.Meanwhile, the general public learns about the top news scams to be wary of… while falling prey to even newer ones. It’s a never-ending battle.
Cybersecurity andscamsare massive concerns. The former has been an issue since the dawn of the computer age, while the latter are as old as time itself. And it’s likely that the fight against scammers and other malicious actors will never be won.
As technology improves, criminals get access to new tools and come up with new ways to weasel people out of their hard-earned cash and private data. However, security professionals come up with new security protocols, too.
Meanwhile, the general public learns about the top news scams to be wary of… while falling prey to even newer ones. It’s a never-ending battle.
We should back up our files more often.
Locking the car door as soon as you are in the car. Locking the car when you are filling up gas. Don’t leave valuables in the car overnight/lock the car. .
One recent concern that has been popping up in casual conversations is that scammers might use artificial intelligence tools to clone your voice or those of your loved ones in order to upgrade their phone scams. Phone scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency during calls. If they have access to the voices of the people you trust, this could vastly expand the number of potential targets.It’s one thing to hear a stranger saying they’re a relative of yours and that they’ve been in an accident. It’s another thing entirely when that stranger is generating text using your relative’s voice. In these situations, it’s probably best to hang up and reach out to your family and friends for advice. Check in with the person who’s supposedly in trouble using their actual phone, social media, or email. Scammers rely on panic to get you to make mistakes.Staying calm and focused under stress is how you fight back. But, it’s easier said than done. You need practice. When you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, you tend to rely on your training and your gut. If your gut says that something is too good or bad to be true, then it likely is.
One recent concern that has been popping up in casual conversations is that scammers might use artificial intelligence tools to clone your voice or those of your loved ones in order to upgrade their phone scams. Phone scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency during calls. If they have access to the voices of the people you trust, this could vastly expand the number of potential targets.
It’s one thing to hear a stranger saying they’re a relative of yours and that they’ve been in an accident. It’s another thing entirely when that stranger is generating text using your relative’s voice. In these situations, it’s probably best to hang up and reach out to your family and friends for advice. Check in with the person who’s supposedly in trouble using their actual phone, social media, or email. Scammers rely on panic to get you to make mistakes.
Staying calm and focused under stress is how you fight back. But, it’s easier said than done. You need practice. When you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, you tend to rely on your training and your gut. If your gut says that something is too good or bad to be true, then it likely is.
Don’t leave stuff visible in your car. It’s amazing how many people get laptops stolen because they left them on the seat of their parked car.
Don’t post photos of your kids on the internet. There was a time when it was probably fine to put those family photos up on Facebook and Instagram, but that time has passed. Just DM/email/text those to grandparents/relatives.
Stop giving your DNA to private companies so you can find out you’re 25% Scandinavian.
If you have older kids, set up an Uber family account and let them know they can use it if they need to. As a dad of 3 teenage girls, I’d rather see they grabbed a safe ride home and didn’t feel guilty about doing it than the possible alternative.
Be willing to lose whatever you have on you. If someone wants it they’re gonna take it so just toss it and run. You’re not as good a fighter as you think you might be. Whatever’s in your pocket isn’t worth your life.
Many people just don’t pay attention in parking lots as pedestrians. If you are walking, you should especially pay attention in parking lots. This means not walking too closely to parked cars, paying attention to lights, and paying attention to see if someone recently entered a car. You are most likely to be hit as a pedestrian while walking behind a car backing up. Many cars don’t have back up cams, and some people just don’t have the flexibility to turn around and look behind them.I see it all the time in the winter, pedestrians walking around, looking at their phones while wearing a black jacket or coat. Get off your phone while walking and wear brighter colors. You are practically invisible at night and in dim light while wearing black.
Walking in areas that are well lit even if it takes longer to get to a destination.
Do people have fire extinguishers in their kitchens? I don’t see them on makeover shows.If you saw how fast fire can spread you’d have extinguishers everywhere.
The Dave Ramsey crowd will hate this one, but.. Use a credit card that has good cyber security and protections instead of your bank card for normal usage. If you get your bank card hacked they have access to your money in your account and some banks are not good about investigating and getting you it back quickly. But there are some credit card companies that are REALLY good about it. I have my card ID stolen about a decade ago and they went after the people that did it and they served several years in prison. Didn’t cost me a dime since the card company cleared all the charges. Could have been a nightmare if it was my bank account.
If someone calls you claiming to be your bank or creditor or anyone else, hang up and call them back at a number you have independently verified. It does not matter if you recognize the caller ID, that can be spoofed. It does not matter if they seem to know what they’re talking about, that’s what data leaks do.If you receive a letter about a debt or other sensitive matter, say your electric bill, don’t call the number on it without independently verifying it first. I’ve actually legit gotten fake water bills.Do not redirect payments based on emails. In fact, it’s best not to direct them at all based on an email. Scammers will interject themselves into real estate transactions, contract negotiations, etc. They’ll use an email that looks similar to the one you’ve already been in contact with or gain access to the real one. If possible, discuss changes in-person or on-the-phone (at a verified contact number).
Keep your doors locked when you’re at home. When someone comes to your door, check who it is on your doorbell camera. There is no law that says you have to answer it.
I don’t know if this counts but knocking on your hood/ looking under the hood before you start your car during cold weather. You may never know if a kitten or puppy is in there.
Logging into personal accounts on a work computer. If your keystrokes are monitored, danny the IT guy can get passwords to your gmail, your password manager, your bank accounts…
Not repeating passwords.
When walking to your vehicle in a parking lot, don’t be on/looking at your phone. Lock your vehicle as soon as you enter it. Depending on the time of day and area, be cautious of how long you sit with your eyes glued to your phone in your car.You could go your whole life without the above ever being necessary. But there’s no reason not to be careful. Your safety is worth the bit of extra attention and caution. If you’ve got kids, you might consider passing along the advice.
Have your lights automatically come on at night, especially when you’re away. It gives the impression that someone is home which thieves do not want.
Not running the “yellow” on a busy intersection.
Using an adblocker. Malicious ads are one of the most common ways to get malware on your device.
Steel-framed doors and good deadbolts.
Continue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited contentAd-free browsingDark mode
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
See Also on Bored Panda
Stop giving your phone number and email address to everyone who asks for it.
Everyone in your family should have an family identification word or phrase. If someone gets an appeal for money via text/email/phone/etc they ask for the family word. It’s easy and will keep grandma & grandpa from sending gift cards to the police dept for your bail.
Not having our phone out in our hand when walking along the street. So easy to have it snatched.
Replace the screws that came with your entry door(s) latch plate with longer ones. I’m talking like 3”. That will secure the plate down into the framing itself rather than just the wood trim. Makes your door much harder to kick down if someone was intent on breaking in that way.
As a former gym employee, lock your lockers, people. Seriously. And use a combination lock. It’s too easy to loose a key for a lock that requires it.Thieves actively hunt for open lockers filled with stuff. They won’t touch locked lockers because its easier to target unlocked ones.
People don’t understand the amount of information they give out in a single photograph. They think they are being secure, but there is a stunning amount of information they don’t even realize can be gleaned.Sure, take a pic of your new car and cover the plate..safe right? No..the type of trees, the neighbors houses, the direction of the shadows, reflections in windows and chrome, all of it can be used to pinpoint your actual location and therefore it’s likely your identity too. At least you covered up the plate lol.I would also say that walking around with your face in your phone is a security threat. Your situational awareness is in the toilet when your face is in your phone, and you have almost no sense of what it going on around you.
We should really be using two-factor authentication more often. Like, people think a password is enough, but it’s not secure anymore.
Literally not using your real name on the internet.
Do not change your password for a site unless there has been a compromise. Requiring periodic password changes reduce the security posture.NIST updated their recommendations in 2017, but it seems everyone is still doing periodic password changes.
Ban yourself from all the casino’s, you can simply do it online and prevent yourself for going into heavy debt (speaking of experience).
Not having your keys out BEFORE you get to your car or door…those precious seconds could make the difference!
Only share personal information over the phone, on a phone call you placed, and dialed.Do not share personal information, over the phone to someone who called you. It is very easy to spoof a phone number and make your Caller ID think your bank or credit card company calling you, when it is actually a scammer.
Using a vpn on public wifi. It’s surprising how many people don’t realize how exposed their data is without one.
Using pass-phrases rather than traditionally-complex passwords.You’re never going to remember **5s9j%JGjekL(**but you’ll probably remember inevitable-warming-buttocks-prot0col.
Changing the locks on my house.. The previous owner is dead; his family lives far away. I"m not worried about random keys to my house out in the wild.
Change your routine. Don’t always go back home using the same route or coming and leaving everyday at exactly the same time.
I know that some/many take it, but still see enough that do not.Wearing a bicycle helmet.I used to ride A LOT on a bicycle. Still do. I used to hate my helmet because my hair started to itch really badly quite quickly after not wearing it for some time and it was a pain to always take it with me.Then I had my first and only biking accident. Was 100 % my fault. But if it had not been for the helmet, what ended up as a scraped and bloody elbow, a wrist that hurt for two weeks and pain in my thumb for 3 weeks that made it almost impossible to grip stuff, I would have probably ended in the ICU that day with a severe head trauma.Almost exactly 1 year before that, my best friend had also been in a similiar accident. He also wore his helmet and it definitely saved his life.Currently studying and I see so many of my fellow students not wearing their helmet. Yeah, 99,9 % of the time nothing will happen. But when it does, a helmet might be the difference between a bruise on the arm and maybe a small concussion or life long brain damage.
Not escalating problems to the point that they require physical intervention.
Physically locking the garage door. Put a motion alarm on the gate. Put a physical stick barrier on your windows. Clear the bushes away from the hiding spot next to your front door. Put up a fence. Have all your packages delivered offsite.
Set your text messages to delete after a set amount of time.
Just being in good shape tends to ward off anyone who might want to harm you. If you have visible muscle, they’ll probably leave you alone and failing that you can always run away better if you keep up with your cardio.
Cap those methane hydrates before they heat up too much and really shoot the temperature up.
Modal closeAdd Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Modal close
Add Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add source
Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
Upload
UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.
TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark
InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark
FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
ChangeSourceTitle
Curiosities
