Top Ways To Beef Up Your Cyberscurity Measures

As technology progresses, cybersecurity threats have also escalated in terms of number and severity. Hackers have been known to bring down entire governments and steal the information of hundreds of millions of people. At this point, is it really any wonder as to why you need powerful protection and performance for your PC and beyond?

The question now is how you’re actually going to do this, since it’s not enough to simply be vigilant and not click on suspicious email links. The answer is to keep a few things in mind whenever you are using a device that is connected to the internet, 10 of which will be discussed below.

1. Always Update Software & Apps

This tip might seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people choose to ignore updates for the operating systems of their devices. Whether it’s for your phone, your computer or whatever device it is you may be using, it’s always important to keep them updated.

The security that this provides you is worth the hassle and the occasional hiccups on the part of the developers. You can visit here to learn more about PCs, software, and apps.

2. Vary Your Login Details and Keep Them Strong

If you are using the same username and password for multiple websites, you may want to pause reading this and change them now. For the best results, you should have a unique login username and password combination for every website you have an account with. If remembering multiple passwords sounds too daunting, you can try using a service like LastPass, which stores and fills in your login details for you.

You should also make your usernames and passwords as strong as possible. Never use obvious ones like your birthday or that of your spouse. Throw in combinations of numbers and symbols for good measure.

3. Never Leave Devices Unlocked Anywhere

These days, leaving your phone or tablet unlocked in a place where everyone can see it is like exposing your most private moments in life to the public; it is simply not advisable. If you are out in public and have to use your smart device, you should always lock the screen as soon as you are done.

It’s also never a good idea to let anyone use your smartphone or tablet without your supervision regardless of who they are. You can never be too careful in today’s cybersecurity climate.

4. Use a Strong Antivirus Software

Your antivirus software does more than keep you from visiting dangerous websites or downloading dangerous files off of the web. They also monitor if you inadvertently installed any malware on your device, which hackers can use to take control of it. This has been an especially effective scheme by malicious individuals who were able to infect tens of millions of smartphones and PCs over the years.

5. Get Everybody On-board

Believe it or not, the most vulnerable aspect of any device is the human who is using it. Human error is almost always the cause of malware infections and security breaches. For business enterprises of any size, this particular facet of the technological relationship can be especially troublesome.

As such, if you are someone who is running a business or have a group of people with access to the same network, it’s always best to make them understand the importance of good cybersecurty habits. Remind them never to share passwords or devices with unauthorized personnel. In fact, you should just show them this guide as well as other valuable resource to beef up your cybersecurity.

6. Back-Up Important Documents and Files

There are a lot of times when you have to purge your computers of existing files and software such as when you are having it reformatted. This is why it’s always best to back-up any important documents or files that you may have before doing so.

There are also occasions when your antivirus software will quarantine or delete files due to the risk that they pose. If any important document becomes recently infected, it’s always handy to have a safe version tucked away so that you will have no qualms deleting it.

7. Avoid Public Wi-Fi When Possible

It might be tempting to use public Wi-Fi connections such as in a café or an airport whenever you are out simply because it is free. However, if you have sensitive information on your device, you might want to wait until you get home. Better yet, why not simply turn on your mobile data if you have it?

Public Wi-Fi has long been considered a severe security risk because hackers can use it as an entry point to gain control of devices. If not, they can at least take a peek at the contents of the device.

8. Regularly Change Wi-Fi Passwords

Speaking of cafés, you might want to emulate their methods and change your Wi-Fi passwords regularly. A weekly basis is enough for most people, though, the really paranoid can do it every day if they want to. This is simply an extra security precaution.

9. Choose Websites Carefully

When shopping online or conducting financial transactions, choose only domains that have proven security encryption protocols. Never do business through a shady online platform no matter how affordable their services might seem.

In terms of payments, stick with options that are known to be safe. Standard fairs often include PayPal, VISA, MasterCard, and the like. If you want to use newer currencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, be careful which platform you use to transfer the payment.

10. Only Use Official Versions of Software

Finally, and this cannot be overemphasized, only ever use official versions of any kind of software or application. It is never worth the risk to forgo the costs of buying a program by downloading it from a sketchy source and then installing it on your device. Not only does this expose you to a wide variety cybersecurity risks, it also prevents you from getting the future protection you are supposed to get from the updates for those applications.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.