Online security and anonymity is of the essence in this day and age that is unless you much prefer losing your data to hackers, cybercriminals and third parties.
Even though you may not realize it, your information is either being retrieved or monitored, that too without you knowing about. Keeping this in mind, here are 8 tips that you should take advantage of to enhance your online security by leaps and bounds:
8 Tips to Keep in Mind to Protect Yourself Online
Create Unique Passwords across all Accounts
A lot of people make the terrible mistake of using the same password for all their accounts. Even though it may be difficult to guess, it is not at all a good idea nor is it recommended.
It goes without saying that each account you own should have a unique password. People usually end up getting tricked into entering their passwords via phishing scams, and to avoid substantial damage, unique passwords can do wonders for you in the long run.
Create Random Passwords
Rather than creating passwords that are easy to guess, create ones that are completely random. This essentially means you cannot create passwords with your name and/or birthday and vice versa. Create alpha-numeric passwords, or use a password manager to come up with ones that are not susceptible to being vulnerable to brute force attacks.
Maintain Credentials with a Password Manager
As mentioned earlier, password managers like Sticky Password or LastPass allow users to create incredibly tough-to-crack passwords. Once created, the password manager can be used to serve as a central database, which can be synced across several devices.
At the same time, since it is difficult to memorize each and every password for your account, a password manager will save you the hassle of having to recall them when you need them the most.
Two-Step Verification is the Way to Go
Many sites and social media platforms now offer two-step verification, including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and even Google.
Since you have this feature available, it is a good idea to benefit from it. How it works is that it requires you to enter a password, all the while requiring you to have access to a trusted device in order to complete the login procedure.
Keep Your System Up-to-date
Whether it is a PC, notebook or a Smartphone, make sure the software is up-to-date at all times.
Hackers tend to exploit weaknesses within an OS, but this can be prevented by making sure the system is up-to-date. As long as updates are enabled, the device will download and install important patches and fixes that eradicate weakness and exploits as soon as they are discovered.
Use a PIN code on your Smartphone
Before a Smartphone is unlocked, you can set up a PIN code, just to be on the safe side.
If you are unfortunate enough to have misplaced your phone, or were robbed while the phone was unlocked, there is nothing much you can do to protect your data. However, with a PIN in place, the chances of that happening are next to none, as it can also be set to erase data if the wrong PIN is entered too many times.
Full-disk Encryption is a Must
Enabling full-disk encryption is a must. The feature is available for all hard disks, which basically encrypts the data on them.
Think of it this way, if your device’s hard disk goes bust, you will not have to worry about it being falling into the wrong hands, eventually leading them to recover your personal data.
Always Backup Data to an External Hard Drive
It is imperative that any and all data should be stored on a separate external hard drive. This includes storing data available on all available devices, so that it can be recovered later in case of data loss.
That being said, the tips mentioned above are just a few of the many others that can be taken into account to enhance online security. However, you now have what you need to get started, rather than taking a risk, which could potentially lead to problems like identity theft and so on.
