5 PERSONAL CYBER SECURITY TIPS
1. Stay updated
Keeping your software regularly up to date is super important in fighting ransomware attacks.
What’s ransomware? It’s a type of malware which threatens to publish personal data or permanently block the owner’s access to it unless paid money.
What’s malware? It’s basically any software designed to cause damage to a device.
Replacing old software with the new helps to remove key vulnerabilities that hackers use to get into your devices.
Some quick-fire tips:
Turn on your device’s automatic system updates
Download a web browser with automatic security updates
Always keep website plugins such as Java, Flash, etc updated
2. Have a bullet-proof password
I know it sounds obvious, but having a strong password and using a password managing tool are actually less common than you think.
Quickfire tips:
It’s tempting, but try not to use the same password more than once!
Your password should contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, one number, and four symbols.
Choose something that you’ll remember easily time and time again, and never leave hints for your password out in the open or make it publicly available for hackers to see.
3. Two-Factor Authentication
(or Multi-Factor) These ensure that additional security measures are added to your online accounts. The extra step(s) usually consist of a prompt to enter another authentication method such as a Personal Identification Code, another password or sometimes even a fingerprint.
Warning!
According to NIST, text message delivery should NOT be used during two-factor authentication as malware can be used to attack mobile phone networks and can still get into your data during the process.
4. Beware of public Wi-Fi
It turns out it is in fact too good to be true …
It’s advised not to use public wi-fi unless using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). By doing so, the traffic between your device and the VPN server will remain concealed. Making things safer, as it’ll be more difficult for the hackers to get access to your data this way.
To note:
Use your mobile network if you don’t have access to a VPN
5. Back it up
I feel like this is something hardly anyone does unfortunately, but it's SO crucial to back up your data on a regular basis.
Here’s an easy rule to follow, named the 3-2-1 backup rule. It’s where you keep 3 copies of your data on 2 different media, such as local and external hard drives, and 1 copy in an off-site location, like cloud storage.
If you do happen to fall unlucky and become a victim of ransomware or malware, the only way to restore your data is to erase all your systems and restore with a recently performed backup.
As you can see, we’ve all got to stay alert and be precautious when it comes to our security. After-all, once something is gone, you might not be able to get it back.
I hope these tips will help you prevent, and ultimately defeat cyber-crime!
Pass this onto your friends and family so we can all become more aware and protected.