**7. Target hardening**

Cyber criminality is a phenomenon tied to the daily routine of individuals. To this end, Cohen and Felson in 1970 articulated the Routine activities approach which derives from the fact that elements of a criminal or deviant act come together in normal, legal, and routine activities [25]. At the heart of routine activities are three premises often referred to as the crime triangle; a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. Routine activities theory posits that criminal victimization increases when motivated offenders and suitable targets converge without let or hindrance [26].

Within the cyber space, the massive spread of global system of network provides the fertile ground for the absence of a capable guardian, the internet user then becomes the suitable target, waiting to be devoured by scammers who are the motivated offenders in this regard. However, from the routine activities approach, if internet users adopt target hardening strategies like; two-step security code authentication, periodic password change, firewall settings, anti-virus definition update, One Time Password (OTP) validation, etc., online criminal victimization will decline.

Thus, target hardening ensures that online users take the responsibility to police their own activities on the internet. The stipulations of the routine activities approach is best suited to guard internet users in the sense that people are supposed to guard their login details securely from un-trusted sources. This includes ensuring that websites being accessed are well secured with the inscription "https" or "locked padlock". In another light, parental control should be activated in computer and internet gadgets used by underage children to guard them from cyber stalking and pornography. Put succinctly, the watchword to target hardening as posited by the routine activities approach with regards to cyber criminality refers to all deliberate authentication and security efforts adopted by the internet user to ensure that online activities are protected from scammers.
