As you browse through the Internet, you may come across links with enticing offers. Many companies and advertisements are asking for personal information for you to access various products or services. Although this is a genuine reason, not all of them are honest. You must be able to know who you are giving your information and for what reasons.
Keeping your personal information, financial details and passwords should be one of your priorities. Businesses are also ensuring your details are safe and secure from intruders. Therefore, it is important to maintain online hygiene to adequately protect your laptop, mobile device, or computer from malware, hackers, and other types of cyber threats. It will also help you eliminate the risks involved with identity theft. Keeping your device and data secure takes little effort. Fortunately, there is a lot of information on the Internet on the things you can do to keep your online activities more secure. The image below briefly shows some of the important practices.
Here are 5 online privacy practices for Internet users.
Use a VPN
When using an unencrypted network from home, you leave your information vulnerable to hackers and other malicious third parties. It means that any person with malicious intentions can get hold of your data. As a result, the exposure of your IP address may lead to privacy loss and even leaking of your sensitive information. The best solution is using a VPN to hide your IP address and encrypt the internet connection so that malicious third parties and hackers cannot see it. The VPN encrypts the traffic between the device and the server. Hence, it becomes difficult for cybercriminals to get any data from your device.
Use a Firewall and a Strong Anti-Virus
When you use your device without any protection, it is easy for hackers to reach you. Furthermore, any app or download on your device could come with a virus that could ruin your data. Without an antivirus or firewall, hackers can remotely take over your device, access your financial and personal information, and even track your current location. With all the sensitive data, it is easy for them to steal your identity or conduct other malicious deeds. The best thing to do is installing quality antivirus software on all devices. After installing, ensure you keep it updated to protect against spyware, malware, and other threats. Manufacturers will always have the updates ready for you.
Strong and Unique Passwords
You may tend to use one single password for several accounts. Some people use the same password for the fear of forgetting. Hackers can easily steal your information by getting combinations of usernames and passwords from one source to another. They can do this by hacking banking sites, online stores, or email providers. The most perfect way of preventing a data breach is by using a unique password for every single login. It will be good to use password managers to generate a strong password. When using the password manager, you only need to remember the master password that locks the account.
Two-factor Authentication
Sometimes your password alone is not enough to keep your information safe. As long as a person has access to the password, it is easy to log in to your accounts and get what they want. This is also very easy for hackers to get into the system and acquiring your password from other sites. Asking for authorization is a good way of ensuring you are the only person who can access your accounts.
Although multi-factor authentication can be annoying, it is another great way of keeping your accounts safe. This type of authentication requires you to pass through a layer of authorization, apart from the password to log in to your account. The authentication verifies the identity and confirms that it is you trying to access your account. There are different kinds of authentication, and all of them are related to you. This means that, even if someone has your password, they cannot access the account unless they pass the authentication. You are also notified when another device tries to log in and asked to verify it is you.
Beware of Scams
When browsing through the Internet, you may come across links that seem harmless, you may also get suspicious emails and promotional links. Other times, you can receive a phone call requesting specific information. Online scams have become a constant threat on the Internet. A cybercriminal can use tricks to get you to provide your personal information like credit information, login ID, and password. They can use phone calls, text messages, and other social networks like emails. Ensure you stay suspicious of any phone call or email message asking for your information. Ensure that you do not give your information anyhow since this could be hackers eying to steal from you.
Conclusion!
Part of your personal information is on the Internet and anyone can see it. However, you can keep it under control. The above are essential cybersecurity practices that you can adapt. Make sure you use a VPN for your network to block illegal access to your network. You also require having strong antivirus software to get rid of any virus that may be sent to your device. Another practice is using unique and strong passwords for your accounts, and since the passwords alone are not enough, a multi-factor method of authentication will back up the login. You must also avoid phishing emails and phone calls from unknown sources. This way, you can keep your information secure from hackers and other threats.