If you’ve logged onto Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr or several other social media websites in the past week you may have noticed banners or splash pages urging you and other users to take action against something called “net neutrality.”

Sounds kind of serious, huh? You might be wondering why all hands seem to be on the digital deck this week.

The internet has become an indispensable tool for everyday life, both personal and business. Its global use and familiarity have also opened the doors for cyber criminals to take every opportunity to exploit vulnerable people through disturbing online attacks. Online scams and malware are also becoming increasingly sophisticated, and while many of us are aware of what to look for and what to do when they arise, there are some that may still be confused by the latest scams discussed in the media.

One of a company’s worst nightmares goes a little something like this.

An employee boots up their computer at the beginning of the work day. A couple of minutes into work they get an email from someone who seems to be a coworker. They click the link without thinking, and a message flashes onto their screen:

“Your files have been encrypted. You have 24 hours to pay a fine of $500. If you do not pay the fine, your files will be permanently encrypted.”

Yesterday, for several companies across Europe and Asia and even in the United States, that nightmare became a reality.

In previous blog posts, we’ve talked a lot about how important it is to be aware of how secure your firewall really is. But you may be wondering one thing: what does it even mean to be “security aware?”

So you have a Nigerian prince in your emails who seems nice enough. He’s never been anything but polite, and from the looks of it, he has had a rough time lately. As it turns out, being a prince is not as lucrative as it sounds. He just needs $12,000 from you to make it all better.

You know how this story ends. You laugh it off because you know it’s a scam – you don’t know this guy, why would you ever give him money?

But what happens when someone you do know emails you out of the blue, needing some cash? Or if a coworker asks for access to a file? Or if someone you’re pretty sure you know sends you a link that you just have to click?