In an increasingly connected and digital world, it’s hard to deny that cyber-world has become a necessary evil. We use the internet in our homes; we can’t do business without it, and all our vital information is connected to it. Sady, the rise of the web has led to the burgeoning of crime – cybercrime, to be precise. Today’s cyber thieves have the whole internet as their playing field.
While protecting yourself in an increasing globalized world isn’t always a walk in the park, it isn’t exactly climbing Mt. Everest either. With these creative ways, you can certainly protect yourself from the murk that is cyber-crime.
Invest in An Antivirus
An antivirus is designed to deter, detect, and destroy spyware, viruses, malware, and other intrusive elements. Some cyber thieves use conniving files – whether music, pictures, videos, and so forth – to hide codes that will infringe your privacy. As soon as you open the file, you have given them the authority to dig into your computer. Antiviruses, however, have the latest technologies to get rid of this cyber nuisance.
Secure Your Router
It isn’t enough to use default settings left by your Internet service provider. Hackers are getting smarter each day, and they’ll get into the home network or even your computer through compromised routers. But you can do something about it. For one, you can routinely update the firmware to receive latest security features. Also, ditch WPS for WPA2 security.
Create Hacker-Proof Passwords
What makes a password secure? Using your pet’s name, your birthday, locations, and so forth won’t cut it. You need to create a password that has a combination of at least eight characters, making sure there are numbers, symbols, and letters in there. It’s been mentioned zillion time, but using one password across all of your accounts is simply a big no-no. These days some websites allow you to create a memorable but hacker-proof password.
Keep Your Online Affair Anonymous
Most of us like to splash our full names, addresses, nicknames, friends, workplaces, and so forth in all our social media accounts. That is a big mistake. Set up security measures on all your accounts to make sure only friends, family, and colleagues can view your vital information and what’s happening in your life. Identity thieves usually mine all your info right from you Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page. So keep what’s private to be private.
Keep Your Credit Cards Secure
With online shopping gaining increasing traction over the past decade or so, financial thieves have taken their trade online. So, it’s best to verify if indeed an online store is genuine before you feed in your payment information. Even better, have security programs like McAfee or Kaspersky check out the authenticity of any store.
Supply Passwords/Locks to Your Phones and Computers
If your phone or computer is stolen or gets lost, it would be more devastating if it has no password or lock. Don’t forget to report online fraud to relevant authorities including FTC.
