Cyber Safety: An Informative 2021 Guide
Cyber Safety Introduction
Over the past decade or so, the internet has seen a meteoric rise in coverage. In developed countries, nearly the entire populace now has access to a moderate-speed internet connection either through broadband or mobile. In developing countries, too, access to the internet has started penetrating the poorest of towns and neighbourhoods. Within this decade the entire world is likely to get a connection of some kind. The internet has had numerous benefits for people of all backgrounds, vocations, and demographics.
However, as is the case with everything good, the internet has its drawbacks as well. The internet is flush with dark alleyways and corners, with unethical actors ready to pounce on the smallest opportunity they get to dupe an unknowing user. Such actors can steal your identity, important financial details, professional work, or even your passwords, and blackmail you with the information they have procured. While it is great that you can use the internet for numerous functions, the aforementioned facts also reinforce the importance of staying wary while surfing the web.
This article will explore how the internet can act to your detriment, and how you can ensure that it doesn’t by providing an introduction on Cyber Safety.
The field that deals with staying safe on the internet is known as Cyber Safety. There are numerous reasons why you should know the meaning of Cyber Safety. First and foremost, as more and more people have been gaining access to the internet, the need for educating them about Cyber Safety has also increased. This has made Cyber Safety a budding professional avenue as well. Additionally, learning about Cyber Safety is likely to teach you several new things and change how you surf the internet.
In this writeup, after the introduction on Cyber Safety, you will learn about the different types of cyber-attacks that any person may experience. You will learn in detail about what these attacks entail, how they are caused, and how even the most careful internet users can be victims of such attacks. You will also learn about the steps you can take to save yourself from being a victim to such an attack in the future. We will also go through some general rules of ensuring Cyber Safety while you are online.
With that, let’s get started with our journey through Cyber Safety.
1. What is Cyber Safety?
It can often be hard to define Cyber Safety or provide a concrete meaning of Cyber Safety. Cyber Safety is not a rigid field in its own right, but rather a collection of steps and measures. Hence, Cyber Safety can be defined as a set of measures meant to promote the safe usage of the internet and prevent exposure to internet malware, fraud, or theft.
2. Why is Cyber Safety Important?
The importance of Cyber Safety cannot be understated. Why is Cyber Safety important? It is important because it concerns anyone with even the slowest connection to the internet. Anyone can be exposed to internet fraud, and malware is present at more locations on the internet than you can imagine. Learning about Cyber Safety helps us understand how these different types of cyber attacks can impact use, and what measures can we take to defend ourselves against it. Making the entire internet user community aware of Cyber Safety measures and keeping them updated with the pitfalls and risks they are exposed to may be a constructive step to curb cyber crime.
Introduction
As the world is reaching new heights of technology, Cybersecurity has become an essential part of every industry. Over the last few years, many young professionals are showing interest in this particular domain.
If you are taking up any course concerning this domain, then you should do a project on Cybersecurity as the subject of expertise. It is highly beneficial from a career point of view. Beginners having theoretical knowledge should not take up a project that they cannot complete. You should start with a simple one and then sequentially, advance to the next level.
In this article, we have gathered 10 Cybersecurity projects for students interested in this field.
- Keylogging
- Packet Sniffing
- Bug Bounties
- Breaking Caesar Cipher
- SQL Injection
- Removing and Retrieving Files
- Password Strength
- Blocking RFID
- Security Questions
- Hacking an Offline Device
Top Project Ideas:
1) Keylogging
Keylogger or Keystroke logger is a software that can identify the keystrokes made in a particular system. Out of all the projects based on Cybersecurity, this one is one of the best. It can have surveillance on all the information entered via a keyboard. If you are an experienced coder and good with computers, you can build a keylogger software to get the information about every keyboard stroke that takes place.
Moving to an advanced level, you can make a keylogger for Virtual keyboards. This won’t be easy to pursue but will make a fantastic project, fetching you excellent grades. You can also create software that detects if there’s any keylogger present in the system. This might be helpful if someone has installed a keylogger to keep an eye on every move made from the keyboard.
For learners who are interested in Machine Learning Cybersecurity projects, this can be an ideal project to work on.
2) Packet Sniffing
Packet sniffing is one of the most exciting topics to work on, in computer security projects. It is also known as ‘Network Analysis.’. Here, we analyze the internet traffic to keep surveillance on all the outgoing and incoming data packets on a particular network.
If you are pursuing the course from a training institute, you will be allowed to do it. But if you are from a university or college, you will be required to take permission to analyze the network as this is not ethically correct. The projects you can make are –
● You can build a software that detects if there is any packet sniffing in your network.
● You can build a network analyzer that keeps an eye on all the packets. After analyzing, you can submit a report to your concerned faculties.
There are plenty of tools available to help you do this, for example, Windump, tcpdump, Wireshark, etc. If you are using Linux Kali, then you will already have Wireshark.
3) Bug Bounties
Bug Bounties is another one from a variety of Cyber security-related projects. Bug bounties called a “Debugger” is a software tool that helps you find bugs in code. This is a challenging project, but once you make it, you can patent it and sell it to other companies. There are several bug bounties available on the net, so your approach should be the one that decreases time and space complexities. Once you make a successful bug bounty, make a report and submit it as your project. This will help you in getting a better understanding of your course and fetch you excellent grades.
4) Breaking Caesar’s Cipher
Caesar Cipher is one of the earliest encryption techniques known to humankind. It was used by Julius Caesar to talk to his loyal members without others understanding the message.
Look at the following example:
o FRUIT; Shift 2 -> HTWKV
Here, every letter is replaced with an alphabet that comes to two places after the original one.
You can make software or a web application that can decrypt the Caesar Cipher. This is a perfect project to pursue as a beginner. It will give you confidence in pursuing more challenging projects. You can also go for other Encryption methods like RSA and DHK. This one is a Cybersecurity project for high school students.
5) SQL Injection
SQL Injection is a kind of Cyberattack, where hackers execute SQL commands on the victim’s website. This is done on websites that have very low Cybersecurity. You can turn this into a project as it is one of the first things taught in a Cybersecurity class. You can also make a report on the SQL Vulnerability Assessment and submit as your project.
Keep in mind that it is not legal, hence before testing on any website take prior permission from the owners. Most of the owners will not allow it, hence you might have to create a website, just to test its vulnerability in SQL.
This is one of the advanced Cybersecurity projects in python.
6) Removing and Retrieving Files
If you are searching for a Cybersecurity project, this one’s for you. Most of us have been in situations where we delete a file accidentally and have no way to retrieve it. And there are also times when you have deleted something, but it is still available on your system. You can create a report to explain “where does the file actually go?”
You can create a report of all the Data Recovery Tools available on the net and can also experiment more on the life cycle of the files.
7) Password Strength
One of the basic elements of Cybersecurity is a strong password. A strong password is said to be consisting of digits, alphabets, and special symbols. Some Python Cybersecurity projects you can go for are –
- You can create a software that checks the strength of the password and tells if it is safe to use or not. Using Python, this can be done very easily under this type of Cybersecurity python projects. This is a very easy project to step into the world of Cybersecurity.
Introduction
As the world is reaching new heights of technology, Cybersecurity has become an essential part of every industry. Over the last few years, many young professionals are showing interest in this particular domain.
If you are taking up any course concerning this domain, then you should do a project on Cybersecurity as the subject of expertise. It is highly beneficial from a career point of view. Beginners having theoretical knowledge should not take up a project that they cannot complete. You should start with a simple one and then sequentially, advance to the next level.
In this article, we have gathered 10 Cybersecurity projects for students interested in this field.
- Keylogging
- Packet Sniffing
- Bug Bounties
- Breaking Caesar Cipher
- SQL Injection
- Removing and Retrieving Files
- Password Strength
- Blocking RFID
- Security Questions
- Hacking an Offline Device
Top Project Ideas:
1) Keylogging
Keylogger or Keystroke logger is a software that can identify the keystrokes made in a particular system. Out of all the projects based on Cybersecurity, this one is one of the best. It can have surveillance on all the information entered via a keyboard. If you are an experienced coder and good with computers, you can build a keylogger software to get the information about every keyboard stroke that takes place.
Moving to an advanced level, you can make a keylogger for Virtual keyboards. This won’t be easy to pursue but will make a fantastic project, fetching you excellent grades. You can also create software that detects if there’s any keylogger present in the system. This might be helpful if someone has installed a keylogger to keep an eye on every move made from the keyboard.
For learners who are interested in Machine Learning Cybersecurity projects, this can be an ideal project to work on.
2) Packet Sniffing
Packet sniffing is one of the most exciting topics to work on, in computer security projects. It is also known as ‘Network Analysis.’. Here, we analyze the internet traffic to keep surveillance on all the outgoing and incoming data packets on a particular network.
If you are pursuing the course from a training institute, you will be allowed to do it. But if you are from a university or college, you will be required to take permission to analyze the network as this is not ethically correct. The projects you can make are –
● You can build a software that detects if there is any packet sniffing in your network.
● You can build a network analyzer that keeps an eye on all the packets. After analyzing, you can submit a report to your concerned faculties.
There are plenty of tools available to help you do this, for example, Windump, tcpdump, Wireshark, etc. If you are using Linux Kali, then you will already have Wireshark.
3) Bug Bounties
Bug Bounties is another one from a variety of Cyber security-related projects. Bug bounties called a “Debugger” is a software tool that helps you find bugs in code. This is a challenging project, but once you make it, you can patent it and sell it to other companies. There are several bug bounties available on the net, so your approach should be the one that decreases time and space complexities. Once you make a successful bug bounty, make a report and submit it as your project. This will help you in getting a better understanding of your course and fetch you excellent grades.
4) Breaking Caesar Cipher
Caesar Cipher is one of the earliest encryption techniques known to humankind. It was used by Julius Caesar to talk to his loyal members without others understanding the message.
Look at the following example:
o FRUIT; Shift 2 -> HTWKV
Here, every letter is replaced with an alphabet that comes to two places after the original one.
You can make software or a web application that can decrypt the Caesar Cipher. This is a perfect project to pursue as a beginner. It will give you confidence in pursuing more challenging projects. You can also go for other Encryption methods like RSA and DHK. This one is a Cybersecurity project for high school students.
5) SQL Injection
SQL Injection is a kind of Cyberattack, where hackers execute SQL commands on the victim’s website. This is done on websites that have very low Cybersecurity. You can turn this into a project as it is one of the first things taught in a Cybersecurity class. You can also make a report on the SQL Vulnerability Assessment and submit as your project.
Keep in mind that it is not legal, hence before testing on any website take prior permission from the owners. Most of the owners will not allow it, hence you might have to create a website, just to test its vulnerability in SQL.
This is one of the advanced Cybersecurity projects in python.
6) Removing and Retrieving Files
If you are searching for a Cybersecurity project, this one’s for you. Most of us have been in situations where we delete a file accidentally and have no way to retrieve it. And there are also times when you have deleted something, but it is still available on your system. You can create a report to explain “where does the file actually go?”
You can create a report of all the Data Recovery Tools available on the net and can also experiment more on the life cycle of the files.
7) Password Strength
One of the basic elements of Cybersecurity is a strong password. A strong password is said to be consisting of digits, alphabets, and special symbols. Some Python Cybersecurity projects you can go for are –
- You can create a software that checks the strength of the password and tells if it is safe to use or not. Using Python, this can be done very easily under this type of Cybersecurity python projects. This is a very easy project to step into the world of Cybersecurity.
- Another project you can pursue is suggesting a strong password, that is not prone to attacks and cannot be easily guessed.
8) Blocking RFID
Radiofrequency identification tags present on credit cards and debit cards are prone to attacks from software that can read them from a certain distance, leading to illegal access to your cards. It is one of the Cybersecurity freelance projects that you can opt for. The project ideas related to RFID are –
- You can create software that prevents RFID readers from reading your cards. This process can be done by masking the tags.
- You can also build an application that detects if any reader is accessing your cards.
9) Security Questions
If you plan to pick one of the hassle-free mini projects on Cybersecurity, this one fits your requirement. This survey project expects you to collect information and accordingly examine if a website’s security questions are secure. Collect data from people if they use different passwords for different accounts and what are typically asked security questions.
Now go online and search if hackers can get the answers to these questions through victims’ social media activities. Make a report and submit it.
10) Hacking an Offline Device
Collect information on the number of ways that an intruder can illegally access a device illegally that is not connected to the internet. The report can contain the methods to secure their devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. It will make an outstanding contribution to the list of Cybersecurity mini-projects.
These are ten exciting and easy Cybersecurity projects that you can pursue in your class. It will provide you with a better understanding of your course and also look good on your resume. Do you want to learn more about Cybersecurity? Jigsaw Academy’s Master Certificate in Cyber Security (Red Team) is the course you’ve been looking for!
Also, Read
The Importance of Cyber Security In 3 Informative Points
Is Cybersecurity Hard to Learn: A Useful 4 Step Guide
- Another project you can pursue is suggesting a strong password, that is not prone to attacks and cannot be easily guessed.
8) Blocking RFID
Radiofrequency identification tags present on credit cards and debit cards are prone to attacks from software that can read them from a certain distance, leading to illegal access to your cards. It is one of the Cybersecurity freelance projects that you can opt for. The project ideas related to RFID are –
- You can create software that prevents RFID readers from reading your cards. This process can be done by masking the tags.
- You can also build an application that detects if any reader is accessing your cards.
9) Security Questions
If you plan to pick one of the hassle-free mini projects on Cybersecurity, this one fits your requirement. This survey project expects you to collect information and accordingly examine if a website’s security questions are secure. Collect data from people if they use different passwords for different accounts and what are typically asked security questions.
Now go online and search if hackers can get the answers to these questions through victims’ social media activities. Make a report and submit it.
10) Hacking an Offline Device
Collect information on the number of ways that an intruder can illegally access a device illegally that is not connected to the internet. The report can contain the methods to secure their devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. It will make an outstanding contribution to the list of Cybersecurity mini-projects.
These are ten exciting and easy Cybersecurity projects that you can pursue in your class. It will provide you with a better understanding of your course and also look good on your resume. Do you want to learn more about Cybersecurity? Jigsaw Academy’s Master Certificate in Cyber Security (Red Team) is the course you’ve been looking for!
Also, Read
The Importance of Cyber Security In 3 Informative Points
Is Cybersecurity Hard to Learn: A Useful 4 Step Guide
3. What are the Types of Cyber Attacks?
A cyber attack is an umbrella term for many different types of attacks that can occur online. These attacks can counter your identity, your financial information, for online accounts, and much more. All things considered, the major types of cyber attacks can be divided into four broad sections.
What is Malware?
Malware is known better by their colloquial name – computer viruses. Computer viruses and associated malware are essentially programs or files that enter your computer from a questionable or untrustworthy source, and then replicate multiple times in your computer. Depending on the type of malware, these replicated files can be harmless, cover a significant amount of space in your computer, collect your data, and send your personal information back to the source. There are multiple types of malware, such as Adware, Spyware, Trojan Horses, Email Viruses, etc.
Adware is a type of malware. A website downloads such files onto your computer that continuously intervene in your daily usage of the computer with ads of a particular brand or brands. At its worst, the adware can significantly impede your daily activities. Spyware is a type of malware in which a file that gets downloaded onto your computer can access all the tasks you perform on it. Some types of spyware can even allow a user to control your computer remotely. Trojan Horses are generally files that will disguise as another type of file and activate replication once you open them. These are among the most prevalent types of malware.
It is essential to keep your computer protected from malware. The easiest way to do so is to have antivirus software or subscription. Once you have such a subscription, it is also essential to keep your antivirus updated, since new viruses and malware are made every day. An outdated antivirus software can fail to catch new types of malware. It is also important to run your computer through a complete antivirus scan every few weeks, to weed out any viruses that might have remained undetected, and to free up space on your device.
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a type of cyber attack that has only been growing in prevalence over the past few years. In an identity theft, someone steals your identity, pretending to either cause harm to you or steal personal information. Identity theft can occur in several different ways. Anyone who knows the password to any of your accounts can log into that account and procure personal data. This includes public PCs from which you might have forgotten to log out after you had finished working. Another frequent way of identity theft is through phishing.
In phishing, you receive an email from an unknown and questionable ID, asking you to transfer money for your account details. Phishing scams can be in the form of emails from a bank, from an individual, or a lottery company. Similar to phishing are fake emails, in which a legitimate-looking email procures from you your personal information such as government ID number, password, bank PIN, etc.
There are several ways in which you can save yourself from identity theft. Firstly, never give away your passwords to anyone, and do not use public computers for personal business or transactions. Next, never respond to any email that asks for your personal information of any kind. Look closely at the email ID from which every email you receive comes, and verify that it is legitimate. In case you are the victim of a financial fraud online, do not forget to inform your bank and the police, and block your account and cards for a while. Always take a keen look at your bank account statements for fraudulent or unauthorised transitions of any kind.
What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyberbullying refers to the usage of the internet and related sources to cause deliberate harm to people. Like the other types of cyber attack mentioned in the list above, cyberbullying can also take several forms. The most frequent form of cyberbullying is known as flaming. Flaming refers to the usage of angry and hostile language publicly on the internet. This is mostly found on social media websites and internet forums. Another form of cyberbullying is online harassment. Online harassment is much like flaming, but is generally unilateral and restricted to private messages. This entails the receipt of insulting or even threatening messages through email or private messages on social websites.
Another type of cyberbullying is denigration or dissing, in which a person is unilaterally condemned on social media by another person or group of persons. Impersonation is a type of cyberbullying in which one person pretends to be another. This is different from identity theft since the other person does not break into your account, but rather makes another account in your name. Outing and trickery are forms of cyberbullying in which someone publicly reveals private information, images, or messages you had trusted them with.
Tolerance to cyberbullying has decreased significantly over the past few years, and several countries have laws against it now. This makes it all the more important to report any instances of cyberbullying you witness or go through. Teenagers are generally targets of cyberbullying, but anyone can be a victim. Cyberbullying can have a detrimental impact on the victim’s mental health and must not be taken lightly.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is a widely acknowledged concept, but not many know that it also comes under a cyber threat category. Plagiarism occurs when someone takes your work and then misappropriates it as their own. At the same time, anyone can be prone to committing an act of plagiarism. This is because a significant majority of people are never taught the value of citing someone else’s work when you use it. We tend to take the internet as a free resource and believe that all information on the internet can be used freely. It is not so. If the purpose you are using someone else’s work is not internal or private, it is always wise to cite your source.
Laws against plagiarism have grown extremely stringent now. Even internal regulations in companies and firms are intolerant to plagiarism, and any form of plagiarism can lead to anything from an expulsion to a fine. If you are accused of plagiarism, you can be a party to a lawsuit, costing a large amount of time and money.
Conclusion
Cyber Safety is not just an important concept to learn, but also very important to educate others about. Staying safe and careful on the internet is important since it is the one place after our homes where we spend the greatest amount of time. The above-mentioned cyber threats and ways of averting them must always be taken into consideration. Be it malware, identity theft, an instance of cyberbullying or plagiarism, cyber crimes can potentially ruin your professional image and interfere with the peace of your mind. So pay heed to all the Cyber Safety measures, as it is better to be safe than sorry.
So, have you made up your mind to make a career in Cyber Security? Visit our Master Certificate in Cyber Security (Red Team) for further help. It is the first program in offensive technologies in India and allows learners to practice in a real-time simulated ecosystem, that will give them an edge in this competitive world.
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