Most people are only familiar with encryption technology from watching movies. Plots revolve around accessing super-secret data that help to save the world, make millions of dollars, or do something else straight out of Hollywood. In reality, it’s not only governments and spies that encrypt their data. You should do it too. Even simple files that you keep on your phone, tablet, computer, and other devices may be interesting to some parties. And encryption is one of the ways to keep everything private and secure. But that’s not all. Take a look at these top 8 reasons, and you will know why you need to incorporate encryption into your everyday life.
1 Other People See What You Do Online
Every time you connect to a website, post on social media, or conduct a financial transaction, you leave a data trail. Hackers, advertisers, large corporations, governments, and internet service providers can track this information for a variety of reasons. Advertisers record the websites you visit to send targeted ads. Hackers try to gain access to personal details to steal your identity. ISPs log your online activities and share them with governments when asked. Even if you have nothing to hide, this should unsettle you. You don’t want your data falling into the wrong hands. Or into any hands, for that matter.
2 All Data is Interesting
The average internet user believes that governments only care about illicit online activities. And hackers only go after data they can directly profit from, for example, credit card information. But that’s a myth. Everything you do online can be of value to some parties. Did you know medical records fetch ten times the value of credit card information? That’s because they have extra details, such as personal identification numbers, addresses, birth dates, and more. Cybercriminals can use them in a variety of ways and profit big time.
3 Cybercriminals Hit You Where It Hurts
Hackers know what files are valuable to you. They may go for items you wouldn’t even consider sensitive. For example, work files, media content, or vital pieces of software. These files may not have monetary value in a traditional sense. But can you afford to lose them? Hackers use ransomware to block access to the whole system or user’s files. And the only way to rescue the data is by paying a ransom.
4 Cryptocurrency is a Major Target
Cryptocurrency transfers are anonymous and immediate. And the number of people investing in cryptocurrency is increasing. But not every investor is cybersecurity-savvy. Hackers take advantage of it all. Most people have base-level security, but that’s not enough. Nowadays, cybercriminals use SIM-swap attacks to gain access to your phone number and receive verification codes. And if a criminal manages to access your cryptocurrency wallet, they can drain it in seconds.
5 Data Breaches Cost Money
Average data breach costs users $219 per record. Records being any leaked photos, cracked account passwords, or any other stolen data. Of course, some files are more valuable than others. Lost work files or sensitive information can cost you thousands of dollars. But there are extra costs to consider. For example, wasted time and resources to restore compromised accounts. Moreover, for businesses, there are costs that you can’t put a price tag on. That includes regaining customers’ trust after hackers compromised their data.
6 Encryption is Easy
There’s no downside to encryption. It may sound like rocket science in theory, but in practice encrypting files is easy. Anybody can do it with software like NordLocker. And it takes only a few seconds. Plus, encryption doesn’t affect the performance of the computer as well. You can encrypt your files and access them anytime in an instant.
7 Data Encryption Gives You a Competitive Advantage
For businesses, trust is essential. Your customers and your partners want to know you take data security seriously. Companies that use data encryption show a commitment to safety. It reassures people they’ve made the right choice by choosing you or your business.
8 Your Privacy Matters
Over the last decade, we’ve given up so much of our fundamental right to privacy. If 10-15 years ago somebody had asked you whether you’d be comfortable with the government or big corporations knowing where you go, who you talk to, what you buy, and what you read, you’d have said, “Absolutely not!”. But now we tend to give away all that information without a second thought. All for some free service or product. Take Google, for example. Can you name a single person that knows more about you than Google? Remember all the search queries you type, emails exchanged on Gmail, and data stored on Google Drive. Not to mention everything you do on your smartphone in case you use Android OS.
Encryption helps to keep at least some things private (and secure). And you can use encryption for pretty much anything. Files on your computer or in the cloud, messaging, browsing ― you name it. You only need to choose to do things in a more private and secure way. Even if it costs more.
