Cybersecurity seems like a complicated, distant topic, full of strange words, technical explanations and invisible threats. But the reality is that the most common problems do not occur due to super sophisticated attacks or movie hackers, but rather due to simple mistakes that anyone can make: from the neighborhood greengrocer who always uses the same password because “that way I don’t forget it”, to Aunt Lili who opens a WhatsApp message thinking it is a homemade recipe, or your niece Adela who studies veterinary medicine and saves all her work on her notebook without backup copies because “what could happen?” Cybersecurity, at its core, is nothing more than taking care of ourselves in a digital world that works just like the real one, only faster, more connected and, unfortunately, with people trying to take advantage of it every minute.
Mistake number one: trusting people too much (and in the messages they receive). Believe it or not, the most common attack has nothing to do with antivirus, firewalls or strange programs. The problem is trust. It happens to all of us. We are human beings, and cybercriminals know this better than anyone. That’s why they imitate banks, mail companies, sellers, your own social work, the AFIP or even a desperate relative who writes to you to ask for money.
This type of deception has a complicated name, “phishing“, but the idea is simple: they send you a message that seems real, they rush you, they generate fear or urgency, and they make you touch a link or deliver data. It’s as if someone rang the doorbell and said they were from the gas meter, but their uniform was missing. Sometimes people experience the same thing.
Anyone can fall. Juan may receive an email from “Banco Nación” saying that his account will be blocked if he does not click on a link NOW. Catalina may receive a “new client resume” that is actually a virus. And Carlos can receive a WhatsApp that says “your daughter had an accident, you need to confirm this code urgently.” These are things that happen every day.
Therefore, the first rule is simple: If a message rushes you, scares you, asks you for money or information, it is most likely a hoax.And if you have questions, ask. A 20-second call can prevent a months-long problem.
Believing that an easy password makes our lives better (when in reality it complicates it). Passwords are like the keys to your house: if you leave them under the doormat, anyone can get in. And yet, we continue to use keys like “123456,” “qwerty,” a pet’s name, or a birthday. Even professional people, even young people, even people who have suffered scams before.
Why does it happen? Because life is complicated, we are all in a hurry, and remembering difficult things is uncomfortable. But the problem is that when a password is simple, attackers discover it in seconds. They have programs that test millions per minute. I always explain it like this: your password isn’t guessed by some guy alone in a basement; The guesser is a computer that tests options like a machine gun. The good thing is that there is a very simple solution: use phrases. Not “Pedro2024”, but something like: “Myfirstcafeenlacalle” or “Hayquecomprararroz”. Long, easy to remember, impossible to guess. And if you have a hard time, there is another wonderful invention: the password manager. A little program that remembers everything for you and that only needs you to memorize a single long phrase.
Thinking that “it’s not going to happen to me” (when it’s already happened to everyone). This is the most human and most dangerous error. We tend to believe that problems happen to others. It’s like driving without a seatbelt because “I’m going to the corner.” Or leave the car without an alarm because “it is a quiet neighborhood.” In cybersecurity, that trust costs us dearly. The reality is that we are all a target, not because we are important, but because there are many of us. The attackers do not wake up thinking “today I am going to rob Juan”; they rise up and launch thousands of automatic attacks around the world. He who falls, falls.
never forget: For a cybercriminal, you are a number; but your loss is 100% real. The examples are repeated: People who lose their lifelong photos due to a virus. Businesses left unable to collect because computers crash. Young people who sell things online and end up scammed with false transfer receipts.
Retirees who give a code that they do not understand and they lose the month’s savings.
It can happen to all of us. And for that reason, it is in everyone’s best interest to take care of ourselves.
Do not update anything “so as not to complicate things” (when updates are what protect you). It bothers many people when their cell phone asks to update. “Later”, “not now”, “I will do it later”. And so weeks pass… or months. The same with the notebook, with old programs, with systems that no one touches.
The problem is that when a programmer discovers a bug, he fixes it with an update. But if you don’t install it, you’re still exposed. It’s as if they told you that your door has a hole and they gave you a free patch… and you left it lying on the table. Attackers live looking for those little holes. If you don’t update, you are the perfect target. The good news is that you don’t have to be technical: most devices update with one click. It is one of the easiest, fastest and most effective defenses.
Save everything in one place (and believe that nothing ever breaks). This is a universal mistake. We save photos, jobs, documents, invoices, recipes, everything… on a single device. It’s comfortable, yes. Until that device breaks, gets lost, gets wet, or crashes. And there appears the real nightmare: the only important thing was not the cell phone or the notebook; It was the memories, the work, the years of stored information. That’s why there is something that seems nerdy but is for everyone: backup copies. There is no need to use strange words; Just understand this: When something is in one place, it is at risk. When you are in two, you are safer. And if it is in three, much better. You can use a pendrive, a cloud, an external drive. Whatever is simplest for you. But choose something, and make it part of your routine.
If Adela loses her notebook with all her college work, it doesn’t matter how much she cries: no one can recover it without a prior copy. And the same goes for your neighbor, for you, for me, for anyone.
Use Wi-Fi as if it were free water (when in reality it may be a trap). Public Wi-Fi networks in cafes, airports, squares, are convenient, but insecure. Not because “the bar wants to rob you,” but because anyone connected can try to watch what you do. It’s like talking about your savings out loud at a crowded bar table. When you connect to an open network, everything you do can be intercepted by someone with bad intentions. You don’t have to be a super hacker. There are simple tools that anyone can learn to use.
The solution is simple:
If it’s a public network, don’t do anything important. Don’t go into home banking.
Don’t buy anything. Do not open suspicious messages. And if you absolutely need to use a public network often, use a trusted VPN (a kind of “private tunnel” that protects your connection). It’s a small habit that avoids huge problems.
Thinking that cybersecurity is just “having an antivirus” (when it is much more than that). Antivirus is important, of course. And a professional solution saves you from many real threats. But no tool does magic on its own. Cybersecurity is a combination of habits, technology and common sense. You can have the best antivirus in the world, but if you go to a fake link, give away your data, use a weak password, don’t update anything or save everything in one place, the risk still exists.
In the same way that a modern car has airbags, ABS brakes and sensors, but you still need to drive carefully, cybersecurity is a teamwork between technology and the decisions we make every day.
Conclusion: Cybersecurity is not a topic for experts, it is a topic for everyone.
When we talk about the “seven most common mistakes”, we are actually talking about something very simple: basic things that anyone can improve without being a technician, without studying computer science and without dedicating hours to it. Because cybersecurity is not about understanding computers: it is about understanding people. How we think, how we trust, how we are rushed, how we react when we are afraid or urgent. And for that reason, protecting ourselves is not difficult. It requires small habits, simple decisions, and a little healthy mistrust.
If we can apply even two or three of these tips, we will have already won half the battle. Because in a world where everything is digital, taking care of ourselves is also part of living. It doesn’t matter if you are a technician, lawyer, baker or veterinary student. The risks are the same. And the solutions, fortunately, are within everyone’s reach.
**Maximiliano Ripani is a cybersecurity expert at ZMA IT Solutions
by Maximiliano Ripani
