Anticipating new devices holiday season? Tech Coaches guide to personal cybersecurity will help you protect your devices from any data and security breaches.
You think it’s never going to happen to you. You think that no one wants your information but you might be wrong about that. In 2018, almost 700 million people were victims of some form of cybercrime and two cyber attacks occur every hour. Don’t let those numbers scare you - cyber security is your responsibility. If you educate yourself, remain vigilant and follow the tips below, you will be able to minimize your chances of a data and security breach.
Keep your operating systems up to date. Many users tend to disregard the new updates, which their devices beg them to install, time after time. This can prove to be dangerous. The operating system (OS) updates are designed to not only improve your overall experience but to protect your devices from the newly discovered threats. Each update that you skip makes your gadgets more vulnerable. To check if your OS is up to date, you can go to “about phone” or “general” and click on “System updates” or “software updates” on your mobile device. If you want to skip the hassle, you can just turn on automatic updates and let gadgets take care of it in the future.
Lock your device when not in use and don’t leave it unattended. This one is pretty self-explanatory - when you’re done using your gadget, turn it off or lock your screen. It might seem like a minor detail, but leaving your computer on and connected to the internet opens the door wide open for cyber-attacks 24/7. What about mobile devices? Although you don’t have to turn them off constantly, just by locking them you can stop anyone snooping around in your gadget if you happen to lose it. If you enable screen lock - which should be your most basic and vital line of defence - and choose a good PIN, your mobile device should be safe from any unwanted interaction.
Use strong passwords and don’t save them in your browser. We will never stop repeating this - never underestimate the power of a complicated password. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy but aim for your passwords to have at least eight characters, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and at least one special character. I know, it sounds complicated, so when Google Chrome or Safari offers to remember that password for you, you want to take that option. It’s enticing, but if cybercriminals get access to your device they will have all your passwords as well. It’s like leaving your keys in your car. Instead, try using a password management tool, such as LastPass - it generates strong passwords for you and securely stores them. You can also go a little bit more old school - a trusted pen and paper, stored securely, can go a long way.
Connect to a secure WI-FI. The beauty of modern technology is that we can connect to the internet anywhere and everywhere there is WIFI. Although it might be tempting to save your data and use public WIFI, you are opening your device up to cyberattacks. If you must use one, make sure you are not doing anything that can potentially endanger your data, such as online shopping with your credit card or personal banking. It is generally best to add a layer of protection with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPN encrypts the data coming out of your device, hides your location and protects your identity. In other words, it makes it way harder for cybercriminals to obtain your information.
Use anti-virus protection. Anti-virus (AV) protection software is one of the best tools out there to fight any attacks on your devices. This program is designed to detect and remove viruses and other kinds of malicious software from your gadgets, protecting your data. Keep in mind: only install antiviruses from a trusted source to avoid any issues. Antiviruses are available for smartphones too, although not a lot of people are aware of that. Panda’s free antivirus software has VPN features included as a bonus.
Backup your data. Even if you do follow the best cyber security practices, no one is completely safe from a data breach. The only guaranteed way to fix your device is by erasing and reinstalling the system. That’s why it is so important to constantly back up your data. One of the more viable options - the cloud. Even if your device is compromised, stolen or broken, your data is not attached to it anymore and you can access it from anywhere, as long as you have WIFI. You can learn more about cloud technology in our previous blog post here.
Happy Holidays and stay safe!
- Anna Povorozniuk, Virtual Communications Developer