While the use of the internet has become absolutely essential for everyday life, threats to online security have left users polarized. The online medium holds great benefits for education, entertainment, and the workforce, yet comes short with digital footprint and compromised digital privacy.
On the one hand, user concerns are justified due to rising identity theft and fraud. Big companies like Meta and T-Mobile have been sued and fined for selling sensitive user information and this illegal activity is expected to be far more common than we are aware of. Scam websites have also been known to hack personal devices and steal money from the accounts of users. Furthermore, the rising use of social media has become increasingly dangerous with involuntary sharing of personal information that puts users in jeopardy. Navigating the online world has become increasingly unsafe especially if no precautions are taken.
On the other hand, these potential risks leave some users unbothered as they view the convenience of the internet to overshadow the cyber threats. Moreover, if users do as much as to take basic precautions, the threat is much lower and it keeps decreasing as more cybersecurity tools like antivirus protections systems and VPNs are used. Therefore, if individuals use the internet with precaution the vast resources it brings to the table outweigh some of the privacy trade offs.