Digitalization is Ruling!

People in today’s world spend a lot of time using digital devices. Computers, smartphones, and tablets are examples of digital devices that make up the digital environment around us. Digital devices help us with work and school, as well as with family and leisure activities. People work online with their peers on the same project, we can go online to pay bills or apartment rent, and we can watch TV shows and buy tickets to a sports event on our digital devices. People also use various application programs (commonly called apps) to study and communicate. We send messages and photos using messaging apps. People can play games on their devices alone or with friends who are far away. In short, most of us cannot imagine our lives without digital devices!

Living in Cyberspace

The digital environment is often called cyberspace. As we just described, most of us live very active lives in cyberspace. Therefore, we could be called cyber citizens [1]. Life in cyberspace can be compared to the physical world.

In the physical world, we walk to sports events, meet new people, and cross the street. In cyberspace, we also make friends, belong to communities, and arrive at virtual “crossroads”. Browsing through web pages is like traveling from one destination to another. Registering for a gaming platform and accepting the game rules are examples of making a choice at a crossroads—after accepting the rules, you can continue playing. Very often, web systems require users to register so they can access important functions of the web pages.

Cyberspace represents the environment connected to the internet. Therefore, only devices that access the internet belong to cyberspace. Figure 1 provides examples of digital and non-digital devices. Typically, a food mixer and a vacuum cleaner are non-digital electric home appliances. Digital home appliances have mini-computers inside them, although some of those mini-computers are not connected to the internet, like a mini-computer to manage washing programs in a washing machine. Such devices can sometimes be updated using special tools that connect to the appliance using another connection type, for example, Bluetooth. However, a refrigerator or a washing machine with a wireless internet connection belong to cyberspace. For these devices, owners could use mobile or web applications to check humidity, temperature, or appliance status data. Digital devices also include computers and smartphones. All digital devices and cyberspace-connected appliances make up a person’s personal network [2].

Building Blocks of Digital Systems

Computer programs and applications are called software. Software is a broad term that includes games, online educational systems, text editing tools, and booking systems to buy tickets or rent apartments. Software can be standalone or remote (Figure 2). Standalone software is installed on the user’s personal device. For example, personal digital devices have operating system software, which enables all of the device’s functions and controls the installation of applications such as games or a work-related program. The installed applications use the computing resources and settings of the personal device. You may have noticed that older devices have fewer computing resources. For example, maybe you have an old computer, phone, or gaming system that cannot run new games that require more computing resources.

In comparison, online systems run on remote computers—computers that are located somewhere else, often far away from the user. The remote computers are accessed via the internet. Access to online systems happens thanks to software installed locally, on the personal device. In most cases, people need browsers to access online systems. We can think of local software programs as opening a “portal” to powerful online resources.

Standalone applications can work offline. However, they could send data to (or retrieve data from) remote databases upon request. For example, some games allow users to play without the internet. Then, the results are sent to a remote computer when internet is available. That way, the remote computer can make a leaderboard after getting the results, for example, or the current gaming scenario could be generated based on players’ achievements. However, many games are only functional with the internet, such as multiplayer games that allow several users to play together in real time. Thus, a locally installed game application sends data about the user’s actions to a remote computer without any delay.

Cyber Threats—Risks in Cyberspace

Cyberspace has introduced new risks to our modern lives. Just like we take care of ourselves in the physical world, we must also protect ourselves in cyberspace. Most people do not go up to a random stranger on the street and shake hands with them—so why should we accept an invitation from an anonymous person in an online game? Similarly, most people do not go shopping for high-quality products in a building with no store name identified on a sign out front—so why should we download an application from an unknown web page? People generally cross the streets carefully, by looking left and right. Why, then, should we be willing to click any button that appears on our device’s screen? Rules and safety measures, like those in the physical world, also exist in cyberspace. We must follow them to be safe when browsing web pages and making virtual friends. Even though the challenges of cyberspace relate to modern times, old fairy tales, told globally, indirectly reference cyber-related notions [3]. For example, most fairy tales include cases of fake identities.

In our daily lives, we may face physical threats to our assets. For example, unlocked bikes could easily be stolen. Digital devices are also sensitive to physical threats—they can be stolen or damaged. Cyber threats relate to the digital assets of the owner. Data, such as files and photos, are examples of digital assets. Apps that work properly on our personal devices are also considered digital assets.

Cyberspace is a playground for some cyber hooligans, also called hackers, who perform unfriendly actions that could harm digital assets. Typically, hackers take over devices, which could change the behavior of an application. Hackers have various motivations, ranging from curiosity to financial gain [4]. Thus, each cyber citizen should be aware of hackers the same way we try to be aware of pickpockets on busy city streets.

Most Common Cyber Threats

What are the most common threats in cyberspace? The first relates to the theft of personal and sensitive data. Data theft happens when people share their personal data, like their bank card information. This might happen after falling into a digital trap. For example, let us assume that a user shares details about personal interests online, such as on social media. The shared information could be used by hackers to lure the user into a trap. For example, a manga cartoon lover could receive a fake link, leading to a fake page that allegedly sells new series editions, and that looks just like the site of a well-known online retailer (Figure 3A). The user tries to buy a cartoon and provides real bank credentials to the fake system. The system records everything the user inputs. Now, the hacker can use the credentials to steal and spend the user’s money.

Malicious software called malware is another common cyber threat. How does a user get malware? Using a similar example, let us assume a manga cartoon lover receives a file via a messaging application (Figure 3B). The file contains a catalog of a new manga series, yet it also contains malware. When the user opens the file, the malware can invade the user’s device. Malware can harm the user’s data and installed applications. For instance, data can be stolen or damaged—photos and saved passwords could be sent to remote computers or deleted. Malware can also track user behavior. This means that all the user’s actions, including password inputs, are recorded. Sometimes malware replicates itself and uses the invaded computer’s resources. Malware helps hackers take control of a device. Hackers can use malware on the user’s device to carry out unfriendly actions against remote computers. In these cases, the invaded computer is used to hide the hacker’s traces.

In short, the same way we would not share our personal matters with a stranger we meet on the street or take a box of sweets from that stranger, we should only share information carefully in cyberspace, and we should double-check any information that we receive.

Let us Build a Cyber Shield!

Should we be afraid of cyber threats? No. Should we take care of our digital assets in cyberspace? Yes. Who is the best warrior to defend you in cyberspace? YOU! Update your devices regularly—special software can protect devices against most malware types. When this software is installed on a digital device, it can prevent hackers from invading the device. However, most cyber threats happen due to an individual’s intentional or unintentional actions [5], like clicking on the link to a fake web page, opening a file in an e-mail from a stranger, or giving personal details to a virtual friend. Every user should take time to assess each situation before taking any action—just like people do when crossing the street. By combining cyber threat-combatting software with online awareness and careful decision making, everyone can have safe adventures in cyberspace!

Glossary

Cyberspace: ↑ An interconnected digital environment consisting of physical computers, networks, and software. Cyberspace includes social networks, email systems, online services, and humans.

Personal Network: ↑ Interconnected electronic devices of an individual person.

Software: ↑ A collection of instructions, data, and computer programs that runs on computers to perform specific tasks.

Browsers: ↑ Software for accessing websites on the internet.

Cyber Threats: ↑ Activities that might harm digital assets.

Digital Assets: ↑ Anything created and stored digitally and having value.

Hackers: ↑ People who break into computer systems without permission or legal reason.

Malware: ↑ Malicious software used by hackers to steal data and disrupt computer systems.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank their families for their friendly feedback and support in the journey of the paper preparation.