If you conduct business, banking, conversations, or even online shopping, you must take the right measures to secure your online information. In the early days of the internet, we knew we needed to have passwords – but not much else.
Now there are more cyber criminals in action than ever before, and because of that, everyone’s information online is at risk.
Sometimes when we share online pieces of information, Instagram photos, location tags, and other information – we might not realize how accessible that makes us. Since many people use their children’s birthdays and names as passwords, we open ourselves up to potential theft of identity or accounts.
It is becoming more common to hear of big global companies having their data breached and paying huge fines.
In the news: WATCH: Two Florida Burglars Sought By Sheriff After Intense Struggle To Steal An Empty Safe
But it’s not just the big guys that become targets; it’s people trying to buy their groceries on a Sunday morning.
So how can you keep your details safe online?
Updates and Antivirus
Perhaps you are the type of person who keeps the updates on manual mode and keeps skipping them? If so, you will have many weaknesses in your security. One of the most important things about updates is that they are designed to fix bugs and improve performance.
Your antivirus is also one of the most important things that you have. Many people turn their firewalls and antiviruses off rather than taking the time to set them up correctly.
Instead, take the time to set them up properly so you aren’t prevented from checking websites you want but that you are protected all the time.
Once your antivirus software is set up, make sure to check in every once in a while.
VPN
One of the joys of having wifi on your phone, laptop, or tablet is that you can use the device anywhere. One of the disasters waiting to happen is using public wifi on your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
When you connect to an unsecured network – it’s exactly that, unsecured. You can’t be sure about the security and who else is using it. While you just want to check a menu or open an app, there are people who have different intentions. You can find VPNs that work for mobiles and tablets, and you can search for the best vpn for mac or windows.
Once you have a VPN, it is important that you actually use it. A virtual private network keeps all of the information you share while using it encrypted, meaning that no one can access it.
Password hygiene
Do you set and forget a password? Or perhaps use the same password for everything that you use? You might be surprised how many people use the same password for everything – and that makes them a target. Once the password has been used to access one account, it will be tested against any other accounts the hacker can find.
Imagine that your email address gets hacked; once in there, the most logical place for a hacker to try would be your attached financial accounts. And before you know it, you have a serious problem on your hands.
Make sure that you change the passwords roughly every three months or less. While this might sound like a lot of work, it will keep your accounts safe and only takes minutes.
2FA
Most often, you will be offered the opportunity to have two-factor authentication, and this means you will use your password and get sent a code either to your emails, to an app, or as a text. The code will allow you to get access to your account.
It also means that people who might try to access you around won’t be able to. Since you will have the code, and they won’t.
Facial recognition and fingerprint authentication have also gone some way to keeping things more secure.
Email addresses
Rather than have all of your accounts attached to one email address, have a range of email addresses for different things. This means that if you are hacked on one account, you have some safety with your other accounts.
For example, one email for social media accounts, one for banking, and one for general emails or work.
So if you happen to get a phishing email to your account that is only associated with your work account, you won’t need to wonder if it is real.
When you pay for goods online, you need to make sure that you understand the benefits and risks with each option: Secure Payments Online, The Ultimate Guide.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.