We can agree that although the internet is a great tool in everyday life, it can have deadly consequences if we do not protect ourselves from its negative impact. We all want our private life to remain private and our sensitive data to remain out of reach from malicious intent. Below are ways in which you can protect yourself;
- Review all social media accounts.
• Use different password for each account and make sure they are strong passwords
• See which accounts provide an extra layer of security with two-factor authentication. - Encrypt your data. This makes it difficult for anyone to access your data without your specific encryption key.
- Use strong passwords and even biometric security to protect your smart phones.
- Cut back on data sharing. Don’t be so agreeable when filling out forms online or in person.
- Don’t use public computers. Think of a library computer or Internet cafe computer as a public toilet. You never know who was their before you. Not only could a hacker be nearby to spy on you using the available Wi-Fi, but the previous user could have set a trap to capture your data when you go online. Beware! Instead, take your own computer to the library.
- Don’t use free Wi-Fi. What!? Give up the ability to shop, text and send emails from almost anywhere?! Yes, unless you have protected your device before hand with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
- Use a VPN whenever you’re online. A Virtual Private Network is not as mysterious or secretive as it sounds. With a VPN account turned on, you’re Internet activity is tunneled through a hacker-proof, spy proof network. Hackers can’t steal and/or read your data transmissions when it’s in transit over the Internet. You open a VPN account online, then ensure it’s active or “running” before you go on the Internet.
- Use an off-site online backup service. Think of this as a safety deposit box for a copy of your data, which is encrypted and stored on secure, high-storage-capacity server computers. If your computer’s data is ever corrupted, you can easily retrieve the backup copy. Carbonite is a good vendor to look at.
- Keep operating systems and software up to date. Whenever there’s new software for your device, update immediately. Often companies release security updates to fix bugs that could give hackers access.
- Look into encryption programs. But while encryption is important, the first line of defense is making sure you’re following basic security measures to protect your devices and your accounts.
