Connecting online has never been easier. You can talk to someone across the country, buy things from around the world or play games with your friends no matter where they are. But if you are online, you need to make sure that you are cyber secure with all your online activity.
Multi-factor authentication, VPNs, network security, phishing…all these things can impact your cybersecurity but being safe does not have to be as complicated as you think.
Here are a few tips on how to make your information less vulnerable to hackers:
- Protect Your Online Activity
A breach of any of your accounts can have huge impacts, such as your identity being stolen by cybercriminals. The consequences can be even more severe if you are using the same password for multiple accounts. If your password from one account is stolen, someone can use it to access any of your other accounts that can also use that password. Having a strong and unique password for each of your accounts can help keep your information safe.
It is also vital to run software updates regularly to keep your devices and applications secure. A great way to do this is to enable automatic updates for all your software. Automatic updates do exactly what the name suggests: they install updates on your devices and software as soon as they become available. This ensures your software has the latest protections in place. Once you turn automatic updates on, you will not have to worry about them anymore and you will stop receiving those pesky notifications.
- Watch Out for Scams
Online scams try to steal your data. These scams often look like they come from an official source such as Netflix. It is important to know the signs and watch out for them to avoid falling victim to an online scam.
Keep an eye out for the red flags of a phishing scam like a misspelled email address or threatening language in the email body. Phishing scams, a common type of cybercrime, are cleverly designed to trick victims into revealing information they otherwise would not, like credit card numbers and passwords. If anything seems off in an email, link or website, it is best to double-check and make sure it is legitimate. You can usually verify the email’s sender through the contact information on their official website instead of clicking on it in the email.
- Install Anti-Virus Software
Anti-virus software is another tool that you can install to help keep your online activity safe. Anti-virus software scans your device for viruses and harmful malware.
When downloading and installing anti-software, you need to make sure that it comes with a legitimate and reputable source. Scammers will try to trick you into believing you are downloading anti-virus software when it is a virus that will infect your computer. Never clock on any ads or links that offer anti-virus software for free and never download anything unless you know it is safe. It is best to do some research to find the right software for you and then go directly to the vendor’s website to download it. Once you have installed anti-virus software and enabled automatic updates, you can rest a little easier knowing that your online activity is more secure.
Being active online means there is a lot to explore and discover. While you enjoy everything the internet offers, it is essential to browse safely and make cybersecurity part of your online activity. This may seem like a big task, but the simple cybersecurity tips described above make a difference, will help protect you online and will ensure your personal data is safe. And you can get back to spending your time online doing the things you enjoy.
Let us know in the comment section below how you protect yourself against cyber attacks.