Stay Safe Online With These Simple CyberSecurity Tips

How we use internet changed dramatically over the last years, as mobile device one could only dream of ten years ago are now available to the masses. This comes with increased knowledge, power and money, but it also brings new security challenges. We now swipe left and right to date, find a job and pay the bills, so the amount of personal data out there is huge. This makes protecting one’s identity critical, as hackers are developing new ways to attack our devices and steal our personal data and money. The ways to protect your online identity from hackers are a lot easier than you think and require minimal time investment, which can make the difference between having your bank account hacked or not.

Be password-savvy

This is probably the most intuitive tips in this list: make sure you never tell your passwords and don’t use the same one for all your accounts. The best rule you need to stick to when you are creating a new password is “never write something that people can guess”, such as addresses, middle names, car license numbers or birthdays.

 

Pay attention to the info you post on social media

Social media is one of the best sources of information for hackers, because people are careless with their posts. Details like your address, phone number and even the school where your kids go can become real weapons in the hands of a skilled hacker. To protect yourself from attacks, embrace simple online security habits and remove these details from being visible to anyone but your friends. Filter your friends list to make sure you know everyone personally, in order to avoid any potential hacker from infiltrating your social media friends.

 

Review your privacy settings on regular basis

Social media platforms and other types of websites often make changed to their security settings, which might give away your personal information. To avoid being caught off guard, make a habit of review the privacy settings at least once every 3 months.

 

Watch out for your phone

Everyone is connected 24/7, yet most people don’t even bother to change their phones’ password, not to mention the security settings. Of course, this enables anyone to check your location and track your activities. One of the first things you can do to secure your mobile device is to customize its password, turn off the GPS and use a VPN service to hide your online activity. If an app asks for the GPS to be on, just skip that step, because most apps work just fine without the GPS function. As for the VPN, it’s a must if you are going to use public WiFi.

 

Double check your emails

Phishing is now one of the most common types of attacks carried out by hackers, because everyone is prone to opening an email, especially if it has an attractive title. To prevent becoming a victim of phishing take a minute to analyze the sender’s email, if you don’t know who that person is. Most of the times, hackers use emails that resemble reliable ones, but there is usually one letter changed or missing. If you have suspicions on an email, never open it!

 

Watch your bank statements

Many people discover their bank account had been hacked when they want to pay for groceries or make a transaction. To prevent hackers from stealing your money check your bank statements and credit score often. If you spot anything suspicious, contact the bank as soon as possible.

 

Check the URL before entering personal information

You probably noticed there are two types of http addresses: one with http:// and one with https:// . The latter stands for a secure http and helps you decide if you should enter sensitive information or not on that site.

 

Enable login notifications

Most sites these days provide login notifications, which let you know is any unrecognized IP tried to login to your account. This might be annoying sometimes, but if a hacker does login to your account, you will be notified, so you can take the required measures and protect your data.

 

Separate private from public

Hackers use your emails to get personal information about you, so you can make their life harder by using a different mail to login to websites and talk to your friends and family.

 

Use security software on all your devices

We all know that we have to protect our laptops and desktops with antivirus software, anti phishing and anti-malware, but you also need to protect your mobile devices with the same type of software. There are many reliable security apps you can pick from, both freeware and paid.