While the innovations technology provide us are quite useful and amazing, technology does also bring certain security risks. Here are five ways that you can help secure your internet browsing and keep you computer safe.
- Create & Use Complex Password
There is more to passwords then what meets the eyes since they are your first line of defense. Sadly, 55% of internet users not only have weak passwords, but they also use the same password for all their online accounts, be it social or financial.
They don’t change their password for months on, which translates into an open invitation for hackers to compromise just one account and get access to all the accounts.
Last year, Keeper Security, a password management company, released a list of the most common passwords of 2016.
The most popular password that made up nearly 17 percent of the 10 million passwords the company analyzed was “123456.” “Password” was also among the top 10 passwords, coming in as the eighth most common password on the list.
- Use A VPN
A Virtual Private Network or a VPN is a service that creates a secure encrypted connection, which can be best visualized as a tunnel between your computer and the server operated by a VPN service, encrypting your online communications in the process to help you remain protected against data snoopers.
A VPN also gives you complete online freedom by masking your IP with its dedicated IP address. So, while a VPN keeps you safe online, it also lets you surf without any restraints.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor or Two-Factor authentication is the best practice for securing access to your online accounts. Passwords can be compromised, and once they are, it’s easy for criminals to gain access. Multi-factor authentication requires an extra step to log in to authenticate your identity, whether that means email authentication or a text message sent to your phone.
- Keep Your System Up-To-Date
Cybercriminals are relentless and they come up with new ways to infiltrate security systems, so it pays to make sure your browser has the latest security patches installed. In order to minimize the risk of exposure or low performance, security updates must be applied as soon as they are released. When prompted to update your operating system software… just do it!
- Keep Your Inbox Safe
Always enable email scanning via your antivirus. Don’t trust attachments, in fact, you should always be careful when clicking on attachments or links in any email. If it’s unexpected or suspicious for any reason, don’t click on it.
