My first personal encounter with cybersecurity was back in the days of Windows 95 and Office 95 (version 7). I vividly remember receiving a macro-virus through a Word document, known as ‘Concept,’ preinstalled on a CD. Although harmless, it displayed a dialog box with a simple ‘1’ and an OK button.
As time went on, other viruses emerged, such as the infamous Melissa virus around 1999-2000, which contained a list of 80 pornographic websites.
During my time teaching Windows and Office Pro classes around 2000 and beyond, I made it a point to educate my students about these “macro viruses.” This training took place in Luxembourg and extended to the surrounding regions of Germany, France, and Belgium.
Fast forward to today, malware is pervasive, and cybersecurity engineering has become a specialized field.
Throughout these years, I’ve attended various cybersecurity classes. Unfortunately, many of these classes failed to effectively warn users, often being filled with data and technical jargon that were hard for users to understand.
In the coming weeks, I will publish a series of articles here on how to protect yourself against such attacks. It’s crucial to note that over 90% of attacks occur due to user actions, such as clicking on links or visiting compromised websites.
Stay tuned for practical tips, advice, and even some exercises on safeguarding your digital life.
Stay safe and happy surfing!