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Why is this important?

Cybersecurity attacks are very common, and anyone using the internet is a potential target.

The primary motivation is profit. There are a number of ways for criminals to make money using your devices, accounts, or personal information. As a result these malicious parties are constantly trying to gain access to your devices and information, using a variety of attacks.

The motive is not always money. Others engage in these activities to prove themselves to other hackers, for fun, or just to see if they can do it.

Below you will find some information about how your devices, accounts and information can be misused by attackers.

Staying Safe

You are a Target

You may not realize it, but you are a target for cyber criminals. Your Computer, your mobile devices, your accounts and your information all have tremendous value.
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The Value of a Hacked PC

This article from Krebs on Security includes a graphic showing many of the ways attackers can make money by gaining control of your computer or mobile device.

This article is a few years old, so it does not include cryptocurrency mining, where the attacker uses your computer or device to mine cryptocoins. This can lead to higher power bills, overheating computers/devices, performance issues, and significantly reduced battery life.

The Scrap Value of a Hacked PC Revisited - Krebs on Security

The Value of a Hacked Email Account

This article from Krebs on Security includes a graphic showing many of the ways attackers can make money by gaining control of your email account.

The Value of a Hacked Email Account - Krebs on Security

Join the Discussion

A Yammer group has been created for AU Team Members to discuss cybersecurity related topics. Please join the discussion.

Yammer Cybersecurity Awareness Group

Updated October 08, 2020 by Digital & Web Operations, University Relations (web_services@athabascau.ca)

https://www.athabascau.ca/cybersecurity/ 0a0f25f50a2a32ea0a1fd18ee1679e1f

Important Note:

Many of the resources on this website are links to external sources not managed by Athabasca University. While we review these sites before adding the links, it is possible the content may have changed since, or become outdated.

External links are provided for informational purposes only, any use of the contents of these external pages is at your own risk.