With an increased use of internet in our daily lives, there is a hike in the rate of cybercrime as well. Being one of the major issues of online world, cybercrime holds its place for causing losses worth billions! Every single day, countless computers and other systems get hacked and people are stripped off of their personal as well as confidential data.
Fact: Cybercrime being a prime financial crime causes approximately $500 billion economic loss and takes away a lot of jobs too!
To avoid further loss, people have started taking serious measures to prevent any kind of threats and attacks to their computer systems, laptops, smartphones, tablets. Since these devices are proficient to store a vast amount of information, they become much more vulnerable and require a higher level of security!
To start with, there are pretty simple steps that can be taken to safeguard your information as well as the devices which hold them. When you will take some measures, you will be able to easily defend your system against all kinds of internet threats. So lets check out these 6 simple ways to ensure your safety online..
Make Strong Passwords
It is extremely important to make sure that none of your passwords are same for more than one account of yours or are weak enough for the hackers to crack. For this, it is advised to make strong passwords including upper and lower case letters with characters as well. Don’t use any personal information in your passwords because hackers will try these first.
Tip: Don’t create passwords which include patterns of your personal information; make sure the password is at least 8 or more characters long. Don’t use same user ID’s and passwords for different websites.
Use Two-Step Verification
Many websites offer two-step verification process while logging in. The main purpose of this is to provide a higher level of security, wherein a user goes through two phases of identity verification in order to access a website or a computer network. For e.g when a person performs netbanking, they get a unique code on their registered cell phone to carry out the transaction process.
Tip: Enable the two-step verification process wherever applicable and avoid online banking in open WiFi networks.
Choose Wisely Which Websites You Browse
Many a times it happens that we get directed to a website which may be infected with malware, or perhaps it may be a spam website. Therefore, one has to ensure the safety of their system and the data. As told earlier, verifying a website’s authenticity by checking the “https” in the url. On the contrary you can block the pop-up ads by changing the browser settings as well.
Tip: Use browser safety add-ons to ensure the safety of websites you visit. Also make sure you clear the cache and delete browser history regularly.
Choose Apps Carefully
We can’t do without apps in this age of smartphones. But one does not necessarily has to download all the apps. While free apps may sound tempting, resisting them is the way to go! These third party apps can use or transmit your personal information without you knowing anything. Always check reviews for the apps and see whether the developer is verified or not!
Tip: Don’t fall for an app just because people have randomly scored it, even the reviews are sometimes incomplete. If you’re not sure about an app’s authenticity, then go with your guts!
Get An Antivirus
An antivirus can cover up your system’s security needs, therefore investing in an antivirus can be a great deal. These days, antivirus isn’t limited to just desktops or laptops, they are now available for the mobiles as well. Make sure you have a strong antivirus installed in your smartphones and systems.
Tip: Always perform regular scans and updates to defend your system. An outdated antivirus won’t be of much help.
Steer Clear From Public Wireless Networks
Avoiding public wireless networks is one of the basic safety measure that gets ignored. If you have to use a wireless network, then try using your personal network only which has been encrypted and has adequate security measures. However, sometimes one has to take the leap and use a public WiFi network for example coffee shops, airports etc. but you can not rely on them!
Majority of open public wireless networks are prone to hack attacks. Therefore if you have to use a public WiFi then make sure you have a VPN software installed in your system. The software encrypts all your data and defends your system from all kinds of malware threats and makes sure that you have complete WiFi security as well.
Tip: Make sure you use websites which use “https”, because all the data that you input in these websites will be promptly encrypted and you would not risk losing any of your personal data.