The internet has changed the way the world works, impacting almost every industry and influencing millions of lives. However, hackers are a major problem for internet users, as cyberattacks have become a regular occurrence, targeting both individuals and businesses. These fraudsters usually get information about an individual or a company through social media accounts and online transactions. They may use spyware or virus to circumvent defences and obtain the information they want. The best way to avoid such attacks is by making sure your data is well protected. It’s important for users to go the extra mile to secure their personal information on the internet. Below are eight proven data security measures every internet user must employ to stay safe online!
#1 Create a Strong Password
When creating an account on any social media platform or website, the first and smartest thing to do is to use a strong password. Creating strong passwords makes your online security much stronger. Most people make the mistake of using their name, date of birth, phone number, or other personal information or that of their spouse and children. This makes your passwords predictable, which makes it easier for cybercriminals to hack your account.
When choosing a secure password, it’s advisable to include numbers, special characters, uppercase letters, and lowercase letters. This makes your password more secure. Also, make sure that your password is at least eight characters long. Don’t make the mistake of using common words or quick and easy to type strings of characters. It’s also advisable to change your password from time to time, at least once every three months.
#2 Make Use of the Two-Factor Authentication
The two-factor authentication provides added security to internet users by letting them use two different methods of verifying their identity when logging into their accounts. It’s advisable to make use of the two-factor authentication every time you access your accounts or transaction details. The two-factor authentication requires a user to log into the account with the user’s username and password. After that, a piece of additional information is required. The additional information could be sent in the form of a text message with a security code or to a user’s app.
#3 Use Encryption to Secure Data in the Cloud
Most people use cloud storage to store their data. It’s a secure way of protecting your files, documents, and other information. It makes it easy for individuals and even businesses to have access to their data from any location in the world. However, if you are using the cloud for any purpose mentioned earlier, it’s very important to enable encryption. Cloud storage is a major target of many hackers. And if it’s not encrypted, your data can be easily stolen or even destroyed.
#4 A Strong Firewall Is a Must
A strong firewall protects your network and gives you control over the traffic on your network, as it will notify you if your system is under attack. Knowing that your system has been hacked on time will help you counteract the attack. You can even track the spyware or virus that was used to hack into your computer system.
#5 Install Ad-Blocker on Your Device
Some hackers make use of ads to track certain information on your device. A good ad-blocker will do a lot in preventing malicious trackers and ads that may get past your antivirus scanner or firewall, because, technically, these ads are not downloaded to your device. If these ads slip through your system’s defenses, they can cause serious problems, as these hidden trackers will give hackers the right information they need to steal your personal information and data successfully.
Automatically blocking Adobe Flash is something you will also want to do, as this will give you the option of enabling it when you actually need it. You will need to install software that gives you this option because hackers take advantage of Adobe Flash on websites to install trackers or steal data from your device.
#6 Install Software for Network Intrusion Prevention and Detection
The use of a network intrusion prevention and detection software will go a long way in securing your data. Snort is a very good network intrusion prevention and detection software, and one of the most popular one used by many. These network intrusion prevention and detection systems help detect imposters that may infiltrate your network. The software can easily identify unauthorized access by hackers or other perpetrators.
Also, the software is designed to monitor the activities of authorized users on the network. It will flag anyone who is repeatedly trying to gain access to files or folders they are not authorized to access, and label the action as a possible hacking attempt. This network intrusion prevention and detection system will show you the users trying to breach your account and what accounts may have been breached.
#7 Regularly Update Your Software
Regular software updates are very important, as this will prevent your computer system from being hacked. When software is regularly updated, patches can take care of any security issues or problems that software developers might have missed before the software was released. Therefore, it’s very important to make these updates immediately after they are released. Updating software and apps regularly can be a bit tedious. However, remind yourself that protecting your system from threats should be of utmost importance.
#8 Protect Your Mobile Devices
Your mobile device, laptops, or tablets contain a lot of your personal information and 62% of global users access the internet on their mobile phones. Therefore, it’s very important you guard them properly. Encrypt all the data your devices carry and also make use of strong passwords. You must be mindful of who has access to your devices, as this will help you protect your personal information.
Following the measures listed above should help you navigate the internet smoothly and securely. Good luck and keep reading blog.manningglobal.com for more top tech tips!
Thanks to our friends at Techjury.net for contributing! Tech Jury are a team of software experts that have set out to accomplish two goals: review all the latest software to help software companies improve their offerings and to help end users choose the best product for their needs. Click here for more information.