Most of us are conducting our daily affairs online. We shop, bank, communicate, work, and perform official functions like contacting government departments online. It is extremely convenient, but the digital world does come with its threats.
There are nefarious actors and organizations looking to use your personal data to make money or steal your identity. Fortunately, there are several precautions you can take to ensure your privacy is maintained.
Use Strong, Unique Passwords For All Your Accounts
Not only do you need to use a strong password, but you also need to use different passwords for each of your accounts, including your personal and work emails, social media, and streaming services.
A strong password requires the following:
- Uppercase and lowercase letters
- Special characters and numbers
- At least 12 characters long
If someone gets access to your accounts, they can attain your personal information, like banking details, send emails and messages as if they’re you, and reset your passwords so you can no longer access your accounts.
By having unique passwords for all your accounts, even if a hacker gets access to one account, they won’t be able to guess your other passwords.
Use A VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) strengthens your online privacy and security by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your IP address. This protects your data from hackers on public networks, like when you use WiFi at a hotel, and also prevents your internet service provider (ISP) and advertisers from tracking your activity.
Apart from the privacy benefits, VPNs also allow you to access geo-restricted content. That means, for example, that you can access the best offshore casino sites to enjoy the hundreds of games available, along with lucrative bonuses and promotions, even if you live in an area where gambling is restricted. Since your true IP address is hidden, you can also view movies and series on overseas streaming sites or access online games not available in your region. A VPN can also help you avoid price discrimination on travel sites or e-commerce stores.
Keep Software Updated
App and software developers are constantly updating their products to fix bugs or vulnerabilities. For that reason, you should ensure that you are updating the software on your phone and PC as soon as it becomes available. Software not only includes new features, but can also improve protection against malware, ransomware, and viruses.
You will likely receive a prompt once an update becomes available. You can also go to your device or app settings and select to automatically update your software, so you don’t have to manually check each time.
Turn on your automatic updates for:
- Apps on your phone
- Your browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- Operating system
- Security software and tools
Turn On Two-Factor Authentication
You should turn on two-factor authentication, also called multi-factor authentication, for all your most important accounts, including your banking, email, and social media.
Two-factor authentication is an added layer of security that requires more than just a password to access your accounts. Someone who manages to steal your passwords will not be able to log in, as you will have to add a one-time PIN or passcode sent through text or email as an added step before logging in. The passcode expires within a few minutes.
There are more secure types of multi-factor authentication, like an authenticator application or security key. If these options are available to you, it’s best to select them.
Back Up Your Data
You should back up all your sensitive information and store it either in a secure location online (on the cloud) or on physical devices like an external hard drive or USB stick. Your backup is like a safety net: if your online data is compromised, you can rest assured that all the original data is safe and can be restored.
A general rule is to back up all the information that you consider to be valuable. It can be just some photos and emails, or your entire phone or computer.
Also, back up your data regularly, at least once a month, to ensure nothing is lost should your accounts be accessed by cybercriminals.
Use A Password Manager
Using unique passwords for all your accounts can quickly become overwhelming, which is why a password manager is a must. This software stores and manages your passwords, and can also help you generate strong passwords. You don’t have to remember the login details for each of your accounts; they can all be stored on your password manager.
Security features of most password managers include:
- Password generation: You can quickly generate strong, unique passwords for all your accounts.
- Autofill: You can select to remember your passwords, and then the software will autofill them each time you want to log into your accounts. The password will only autofill on the site it’s saved for.
- Synchronize accounts across devices: It makes multiple logins from different devices easier. You can use your password manager to, for example, log into your email quickly from your laptop, phone, and tablet.
- Warnings: If a password has been breached or an unauthorized person is trying to access your accounts, you will receive a warning to verify that it is you.
Secure Your Home WiFi
Your router should be a defense between your devices and the internet. If a virus gets onto one of your devices, and you connect to your home WiFi, it is possible that it can spread to all the other devices connected to the same network.
You need to secure your home WiFi by changing default router settings and WiFi passwords to strong ones, and enabling WPA3 or WPA2 encryption. You should also keep your router’s firmware updated and enable the firewall. These features can be found in your router’s settings.
You should also avoid using identifiable information for your network name. For example, don’t make it “[Your Name] WiFi” or your home address.
Use Security Questions Only You Can Answer
It is common practice that when you set up a new account, you have to answer a couple of security questions. These questions will then be asked on occasion as an additional security measure to confirm it is really you trying to log in or change your password.
Hackers may try to guess the answers to your questions to access your account, so it is best that you choose security questions that only you know the answer to.
- Avoid questions with a limited number of responses that can be guessed after a few tries, like what color your first car was.
- Don’t select answers that someone can find the information to on a public account, like your mother’s maiden name or your birthday.
Don’t Click On Random Links Or Attachments
Hackers are becoming smarter, and they will set up their phishing scams to look like real correspondence from the government, a business, or your bank. Once you select a link or download an attachment, you may be installing malware on your account.
Check for spelling mistakes and verify the email address that the message came from. If it is not from the usual sender, it is likely spam.
Only Access Secure Sites
Before you create an account on any site, look at the website URL to see if there is a padlock icon and whether it begins with “https” instead of “http”. This indicates that the site is secure and encrypted, and that you can likely trust it. If possible, also read the site’s privacy policy and verify who the team is and who you can contact in case of a compromised account.
Wrapping Up
Staying safe online doesn’t have to be complicated. A couple of simple precautions, like a strong password and some added steps before logging in to your accounts, are all it takes to keep your personal information and data secure.
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