While the online world has brought some magical benefits to us all, staying safe and securing your data are even more important now than ever before. If you want to reduce your risk of succumbing to a cybersecurity threat, here are 5 things you need to be doing right now:
1. Keep Personal Info to a Minimum
Sharing personal details online is easy enough but you really don’t know who is going to be watching. Especially on social media, you should always be conscious of what you are saying and consider who is going to have access to it.
- Never share phone numbers, addresses and other important details and refrain from updating your location information in public.
- If you have purely social media friends, then make sure you also think carefully before you divulge personal information to them.
2. Opening Emails
One of the biggest threats we face, and one which people still fall for, is hacking attempts through email. It’s easy to think a message is from a trusted source and click on the link provided without any thought. That can lead to your computer or mobile device being held to ransom. If you are unsure who a sender is, don’t open any link. Always pause and consider before you click.
3. Using Devices in Public Settings
You should always check that your security settings and options like Bluetooth are working properly and securely. Especially in a public setting, it’s easy to open yourself up to cyber threats if you are not protected properly. When using a public computer, make sure that you sign out properly once you have finished your session.
4. Manage Your Passwords
It’s important to have robust passwords that are not easy to crack by hackers. Strong passwords should include random numbers and letters as well as symbols. You should also change your passwords on a regular basis and never use the same one for different accounts.
5. Keep Hold of Your Device
If you want to ensure protection from a potential cybersecurity threat don’t let other people use your device and don’t leave it lying around where someone can grab it. Have access protection such as a pin or fingerprint/face security for your phone or tablet.