The internet is not always the safest of places. So, what do you do to stay safe? Here are 4 tips to protect yourself on the internet.
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Never re-use passwords – always use a password manager
Many of us tend to re-use passwords or use variations of passwords on multiple sites. This is very dangerous especially if a data breach happens on any service where you have an account. Attackers will use the same username & password combination on various sites and many of your accounts can be compromised.
So what should you do? Use a password manager like BitWarden to manage all your passwords. Password managers are a safe and effective way to manage your passwords. Apart from the obvious features most password managers also provide
2. Use 2 Factor Authentication
What happens if your password is somehow stolen – either through your negligence or a data breach or maybe someone found the note you had written your password on? You don’t have to be a genius to know what can happen. Your account can be accessed and compromised, personal information can be stolen, the person with your password can impersonate you and commit any kind of crime or fraud without your knowledge.
What is 2 Factor Authentication and how can it help?
2-Factor Authentication (2FA) or Second Factor Authentication provides a second factor to authenticate you to the system. That means you need another way to prove your identity, apart from the password – which is the first factor. This second factor can be an OTP that is sent as an SMS to your mobile phone or a more secure Authenticator app that can generate the OTP for you even when you don’t have access to your mobile network.
The 2FA system can hence protect your account from password thieves – so even if your password has been stolen, the thief cannot access your account without the second factor which is usually in your mobile phone.
Follow this space to learn more about 2FA and Multi Factor Authentication (MFA), and how you can start using it.
3. Regularly install updates on your devices
Are you the kind of person who tends to ignore software updates? Well then this is for you. Software updates – either to your operating system or to the apps you use are critical.
If you’re a Windows user, Microsoft releases its updates every Tuesday, so on Wednesday you should check for updates and install them.
Other Operating systems such as MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android also release regular updates which should be installed.
Whether it is on your smart phone, your tablet or your computer, updates are very important as they protect you against new threats and vulnerabilities that are being discovered every day.
If you haven’t updated the apps on your smart phone in a while – go to your AppStore or Play Store right now and install the latest updates.
4. Think before posting online
Are you a frequent user of social media? What kind of content do you post? Do you post pictures of your meals frequently, or are you the type who posts each time you go out with friends, or when you are on vacation? Or are you the type who likes to rant about your boss or about the what the government is up to?
Whatever your posting habits may be, you should be extremely careful about what you post. Let me give you a few examples of how what you post online can have affect your security and privacy.
- A simple image of a meal you cooked can contain Location information that gives away your coordinates and make it easier for a stalker to find you or your family.
- Posting about or from frequently visited places makes your whereabouts and schedule public
- And what about the mandatory birthday or anniversary post? This post usually gives away your Personally Identifiable Information – your date of birth, your anniversary. This is gold in the hands of an attacker.
So what should you do? Don’t make the mistakes I’ve mentioned above. Be wise about what you share online.
