Cyberwar Is on the Rise: How to Stay Safe
In the era of economic instability, a loss of personal (or business) data is something no one can afford. Luckily, there are tools you can use and habits you can develop to prevent a large chunk of cybersecurity threats.
Let’s talk about them.
Backups and Updates
Be it ransomware or some other malicious software, you won’t always get all your data back after an attack. One way to prevent data loss is to make regular backups. You can use cloud services or dedicated external drives to store your files and retrieve them whenever you want.
Another way to prevent a virus attack is to always update your OS and the apps you use daily. Developers often add vital security patches to the regular maintenance updates we get.
Secure your credentials properly
By not having a strong and complex password, you essentially invite scammers and hackers to break in. You should always create complex and unique passwords for your accounts. Use special characters, numbers, and capital letters to make them even more complex.
One way to manage all the different complex passwords is to get a password manager add-on for your browser. This piece of software will let you spice your password game up.
Use encryption
Your wifi network can also be breached. A lot of people leave their home wifi connection unprotected, thinking that nothing bad can happen. This is, of course, far from the truth. By leaving your wifi open to anyone, you risk the security of every device connected to that network.
That’s why modern routers have all those fancy encryption features. As soon as you install a new router, make sure to turn on WPA encryption.
Develop healthy cybersecurity habits
One of the easiest ways to stay on top of cyber threats is to change the way you approach cybersecurity. Most people think about it only when problems occur. However, prevention is always better! Here’s a good place to start:
- Be careful when downloading anything from shady websites
- Use a VPN
- Don’t be lazy with passwords. Refresh them every once in a while
- Backup important data
- Familiarize yourself with current global cyberthreats
The Sooner You Start…
The best time to start caring about cybersecurity is, well, yesterday. And since that’s impossible, start now. Small security steps will get you far, and even if you do get hit by a security breach – you will be prepared.
Act now. Stay safe.