With most of our existence revolving around the internet being secure online has become our top priority. In today’s post we are going to share a few ways to help you ensure your digital security.
Passwords
Your number one line of defense against any unwanted intrusion in your digital existence are your passwords. While it may seem like something that you have already read or heard a thousand times, doing so another thousand times won’t change the fact that your passwords need to be unique, strong and different for all your accounts.
We understand that it can be hard to remember all those passwords but you now have apps to keep them safe. So, there is no excuse for you to use the same password for all your accounts. Strengthen your defense by setting different passwords for all your critical accounts and ensure your digital security.
Network Security
If you take your digital security seriously then you also must be willing to invest in a virtual private network or VPN as well. Now, your home or work networks are encrypted and protected by passwords but have you ever given a thought to this while using an open public network?
Public networks are never protected which leaves your data up for grabs for the hackers. Having a VPN will help you protect your device and your information while you are surfing the internet on an open public network. There are many other benefits of using a VPN that maybe we’ll discuss with you in another post.
Firewall
Firewalls are a must have for all your systems and devices. A firewall, just as its name suggests, acts like a barrier between your system and anyone attempting to get an unauthorized access to it.
A firewall can also come in handy if you are trying to adapt today’s modern lifestyle of IoT and have things like smart thermostats and other smart electronics installed in your home as these devices do not come equipped with any kind of network security.
Smartphones & Mobile Devices
A major part of our digital life, if not all of it, revolves around our smartphones. And like any other internet enabled device, smartphones and mobile devices are just as vulnerable to cyber attacks. They are in fact, more susceptible to dangerous links and risky apps.
Make it a practice to not click any links that look suspicious or are sent to you by unknown people. Also always download apps on your mobile devices from only the official app store. You can also install security apps on your mobile device to be secure online.
Update The OS
No matter what device you are using to stay online and maintain your internet existence, we have covered that nothing is invulnerable to cyber attacks and data phishing.
However, there is a simple way to avoid any such attacks on your personal devices by keeping their OS updated. This helps in a big way as new updates always have some sort of security patches that make your devices more secure. All you need to do is simply turn automatic updates on and voila! You are done.
Shop & Surf Safe
We all love to shop online because it is convenient, fast and easy. And more often than not, we are also surfing the internet to either find some information or just kill time. What you fail to realize is that these activities also expose your data to hackers.
To ascertain you are surfing websites that are secure and encrypt your data, always make sure the website address starts with https and displays a padlock on the left of the address bar of your browser.
Be On Guard
And lastly, always have your guard up. Be cautious of your internet activities like the sites you visit or the things you share. There is a likely chance that while you may have good intentions when sharing something, you may share a link that jeopardizes the data of others who follow you online.
Also make it a habit to regularly back up your data. Because despite all the precautions that you may take, you can never be sure about when something can go wrong. Having preventive measure to be secure online can save you a lot of trouble. And if things ever go awry, you will always have your back up to fall back upon.