The internet is riddled with malicious links and viruses, and nobody is safe. With more and more consumers and businesses falling victim to data breaches, we can all stand to brush up on some basic computer security tips.
7 Computer Security Tips You can Enact Today
1. Break the ‘It Won’t Happen to Me’ Mentality
So many people think they won’t fall victim to a cyberattack, simply because they’re not a high-profile individual or don’t work for a huge company.
Hackers might be more inclined to actively target large companies, but that certainly doesn’t mean they won’t steal your data if you make it easy for them.
2. Don’t Slack on Updates
Hopefully, your company has an IT partner that offers patch management solutions so your cyber security software and operating system are always up-to-date.
If not, we cannot stress enough the importance of updating your programs when you’re prompted. Those little pop-ups might be annoying, but taking a moment to update your device or machine beats falling victim to a data breach.
3. Avoid Phishing Attacks
Phishing scams, which involve ploys by cyber criminals to trick you into handing over personal information, are becoming increasingly common.
Learn to recognize the warning signs of these attacks so you can avoid them at all costs. The best way to avoid them is to never click unsolicited email attachments or links, but brush up on the tips linked here as well.
4. Good Password Practices
Setting strong passwords and storing them in a secure location is one of the easiest yet most important computer security tips we could possibly give you.
If you have a weak password, it’s almost a certain bet that your account will get hacked at some point.
5. Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication requires a second level of identity verification to log into an account.
For example, one factor to log into an account could be your password. A second could be a four-digit code sent to your phone or email address.
This second level of authentication makes it extremely difficult for a hacker to access your account, even if they obtain your password. If a program gives you the option to enable two-factor authentication, we recommend using it.
6. https Only
Any time you enter sensitive information on a website, whether it’s a password, address, payment method or anything else you wouldn’t want a criminal to obtain, make sure it’s a secure connection.
A website URL which begins with https (or has a little lock icon next to it if you’re a Google Chrome user) rather than just http, will encrypt the data you input so that hackers cannot access it.
7. Data Backups
There’s no way to completely avoid cyberattacks, since threats are constantly evolving to bypass even the most bulletproof systems. That’s why it’s crucial to make regular data backups.
With proper backups, even if your data is locked or deleted by a hacker, you can recover it and continue with business as usual.
There’s far more to computer security than these seven simple tips, but at least you can get started on these today!