Technology has increasingly become an essential part of our lives, both personally and at work.
It’s no wonder, then, that with this evolution come myths and misconceptions about certain aspects.
Despite all the information available and the care taken, over the years we have all come to believe some of these myths. But it’s time to put an end to them.
Myth 1- Public Wi-Fi isn’t dangerous
Not everyone has a lot of mobile data to use and public Wi-Fi often fulfills the desire to have Internet in public places. However, connecting to these networks can be dangerous, since being public means that anyone can share the same connection, especially malicious people.
If you really need to connect to a public network, avoid accessing pages without security checks, don’t expose your bank and personal details and, for greater security, use a VPN.
Myth 2- AI is smarter than humans
Science fiction films and books have contributed greatly to this thinking.
In fact, AI is becoming more prevalent in everyone’s lives every day, contributing greatly to automation, and tools such as ChatGPT have shown this.
However, they are still no more intelligent than us humans because, despite some human traits, they can’t process information like a person.
Myth 3- Technological radiation is dangerous
Because it uses higher frequencies, 5G has been rumored to cause illness, with symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and sleep problems.
But the American Food and Drug Association (FDA) declared that “public health data show no association between exposure to radiofrequency energy from mobile phone use and health problems”.
Myth 4- Apple products don’t have viruses
Many people think that Apple is immune to viruses, but this is not the case, as no device is totally immune when it comes to cybersecurity.
In fact, Apple devices have a more robust and reliable antivirus, so it’s not so easy to infect such a device with viruses.
However, keep your Mac up to date with the latest security updates so you don’t run any risks.
Myth 5- Closed doors block Wi-Fi signals
Having a weak or faulty Wi-Fi connection is one of the most annoying and frustrating situations. But the problem isn’t the doors at all. There are, in fact, certain factors that can weaken a connection, such as the presence of a lot of metal.
Myth 6 – I’m not a target for hackers
Rarely do these things “just happen to others”. Nowadays, being the victim of a cyber-attack is no longer a question of “if”, but “when”.
With cybercrime reaching record levels, hackers are taking advantage of the Portuguese people’s lack of digital literacy to steal more personal data and, above all, money.
Myth 7 – Anonymous browsing keeps us completely safe
Many people think that by surfing online anonymously we are “invisible” and therefore completely safe.
But that’s not true. Google Chrome itself explains that this function just doesn’t save your browsing history, website cookies and information entered into forms.
Myth 8 – An antivirus is enough protection
Although antiviruses provide protection against most existing viruses and malware, they are not enough.
It is therefore essential to update your antivirus regularly and it is not advisable to download suspicious files.
Myth 9 – If you click on a link with a virus, you won’t get infected if you close it quickly
From the moment you click on an infected link, and if you haven’t installed or updated an antivirus, the malicious software can quickly contaminate your device.
Myth 10 – It’s easy to tell if a site is fake
Websites containing malware or other malicious software imitate legitimate websites down to the smallest detail, making it difficult for the user to recognize which site is the real one. It may even happen that a hacker keeps a close eye on the victim’s life in order to personalize the phishing message.
Myth 11- Developing an incident response plan is very expensive
The investment in cybersecurity will always be less than the cost of a potential cyber-attack. Any incident can pose a threat to business continuity, so organizations must be prepared to respond to any incidents.
Myth 12- The Cloud is only for large companies and is not secure
The Cloud isn’t just for large companies with huge infrastructures and lots of technological needs. The Cloud offers extraordinary advantages for all types of companies, one of which is security, as systems are updated and protected against virtual attacks.
Don’t be fooled. Enlist the help of ActiveSys.