Cyberattack incidents are increasing over time, and as our daily practices depend so much on the internet, from paying bills to online shopping, or even texting a friend, it’s crucial to make sure that your personal or business data is safe and protected. In this article, we will discuss the main precautions and top cybersecurity tips to take into consideration when using the internet and how to protect yourself and your business from malicious attacks.
1- Always Keep your Software Up to Date:
One of the most important tips and tricks on how to protect your data, whether for businesses or consumers, is to always keep your system updated. Older systems have a bigger chance of being hacked due to the vulnerabilities that hackers can make use of to get to your system, so keeping your software, operating system, and browsers regularly updated will prevent any trials of exploiting and getting through these vulnerabilities.
2- Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-mails and Calls by Detecting Phishing Scams:
Phishing scams are a common attack method that works by tricking you to share your personal information, like e-mail credentials, credit card details, and bank account numbers, this leads to ransomware most of the time. Phishing scams can take different forms, it can be through a phone call, texting, social media sites, and most commonly e-mails. We recommend you to:
- Beware of e-mails from unknown senders, avoid opening any links or attachments that may seem suspicious, and always hover over links to see where they direct to.
- Always be cautious when sharing your personal and financial information over the phone or in an e-mail, especially with people who are not on your contact list or have difficulty identifying.
3- Try to Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi:
Public Wi-Fi networks are another thing to be cautious of, as these networks are usually not secured and everyone has access to them, we recommend you limit connecting to such public networks unless you are using a VPN. VPNs make it hard for cybercriminals to access your device and obtain your data and that’s because VPN software works on encrypting the traffic between your device and the VPN server, giving you the space to surf the internet safely.
4- Vary Your Passwords and Use Password Management Tools:
Using the same password for all your accounts is not the best idea if you're considering securing your accounts, the best practice to keep your accounts safe is by varying your passwords, as creating a different password for each account you have online will drastically decrease the chances of cyber-attacking. While remembering so many different passwords is not easy, using a password management tool will save the hassle of creating and remembering your passwords, these tools work on suggesting strong passwords, remembering them, and reminding users to update passwords periodically. But how to choose the perfect password?
- Go for a user-friendly password with 8 characters at least and a length that does not exceed 64 characters.
- The password should contain one upper case letter, one lower case letter, four symbols except for “&%#@”, and one number.
- Change your passwords once a year for added security.
- Always choose new passwords, and never repeat old ones.
5- Install Multi-Factor Authentication:
A multi-factor or two-factor authentication is a method of adding extra protection to your password, it works by sending an additional one-time password or code to the user’s phone number or e-mail for an added layer of security. Multi-factor or two-factor authentication is a proven method of protecting your accounts’ passwords by making it harder for unauthorized users and attackers to access your accounts.
6- Set Up Anti-Virus Software and Firewall
Anti-virus is one of the essential precautions to consider if you want to protect your devices from malicious attacks, be it spyware, phishing attacks, malware, or viruses. Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and is acquired from a trusted vendor. Firewall is another tool to fight against cyber-attacks, it works by determining what traffic and activity is allowed to get into your device, and it blocks hackers and viruses restraining the harm they may cause to your accounts and devices.
7- Avoid Unknown Websites and Untrusted Sources:
It’s crucial to check the traffic and know the reputation of the websites you want to download resources from before you start, accessing an untrusted or unknown website will probably harm your device or lead to malicious attacks.
8- Back-Up Your Data:
The only way to repair a device if you became a victim of cyber-attack is to erase and re-install the system, by backing up your data regularly you are securing yourself from the data loss you may experience in case of malicious attacks.
9- Never Leave your Devices Unattended:
This cyber security safety tip is crucial in keeping your data safe, whether you are in the workplace or a public place, it’s important to lock up your device anytime you have to leave it for any reason, whether it’s your phone, tablet, or laptop. As for external hard drives and flash drives, make sure they’re encrypted and locked up if you have to leave them unattended.
10- Safely Use Mobile Devices:
As smartphones are taking over and we spend so much time using them in different aspects of life, like work, communication, or even entertainment, mobile devices are becoming more and more at risk of being attacked and are prone to malicious activities, when using your mobile, it’s important to make sure that:
- Your device is secured with a strong password or PIN when locked.
- Keep your device software up to date.
- Install Apps from credible trusted resources like Google Play and Apple AppStore.
- Avoid saving personal information on your device.
- Avoid sending personal information through e-mail or texting.
- Activate Android Device Manager or Apple’s Find my iPhone for preventing theft or loss.
- Always back up your files using iCloud or Backup & Sync from Android.