Top 10 Tips for Cyber Safety

We go to work, according to our own schedule, and are faced with the same mundane routine, unaware of the many dangers that lie in cyberspace. It should be a priority, as a work colleague, to keep things within the workspace as safe as possible, not only for yourself but for others. It’s for this reason why you should know and have many of the tips below implemented already.

Top 10 Tips for Cyber Safety & Security

1. Remember Keyloggers

Keyloggers are little programs that get onto your system and record every key stroke that you make while on your system. Hackers will target public computers, by loading these small programs onto them, then later come back to check what others have been doing on these systems. All of which can be done without anyone the wiser. For this reason, you should never type sensitive information into a public computer, such as credit card details or account details.

2. Backup Your System Regularly

If you don’t have a backup plan in place, then any data you put on it, is at risk. Backing up your data is a relatively simple process, for the most part, it’s automated, so you only need to set it once, and it’ll do the rest. When it comes to the various available tools, you’ll find that Windows has its own built-in solution, so you can always start there. If you want more features and capabilities, then you’ll need to go with a third-party tool.

3. Don’t Click on Attachments in Emails

With so many emails entering our inboxes on a daily basis, you can be excused if you open an email thinking that it was sent by someone else. Phishing emails are forever increasing in number, and are becoming more convincing by the day, for this reason you’ll want to take extra care when opening any email. Over time, you should be able to differentiate between the real and the fake.

4. Beware Of Portable Drives

You should take extra caution when using your portable devices in any public computer. As there are malicious software that is capable of attaching itself to your portable devices, the moment you connect them to one of these compromised public systems. Ultimately, you want to avoid using any flash drive containing sensitive information on a public computer, if you can.

5. Use VPN

When on public computers, you should always be conscious of your security. You want to be sure that you are not at risk. And one of the most effective ways of doing that is by accessing the networks on these public systems through a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Such programs are designed to protect you. There are many different VPN tools out there, so I recommend you find one that works best for you, and use it whenever possible.

6. Avoid Putting Sensitive Information on Social Media

When you’re out of town, it’ll probably be best that only those that need to know, actually know, as hackers like to seek out and use such information to their advantage. You also don’t want everyone and the entire world to know the types of programs you use. All this information is what hackers typically seek out. So be mindful to only reveal information that is relevant to your social media account, and nothing more.

7. Don’t Give Out Account Information

When talking to someone via email over the phone or online, it’s very important that you do not give out your bank details to said persons, unless you know for sure that it’s secure. If you’re not 100% sure, then you should halt any further transaction until you can confirm.

8. Update Your System

Updating your system can prove to be an annoyance at times, which is why most people are tempted to delay updates for as long as possible. But these updates are created to plug known security vulnerabilities, enhance system performance, and add additional layers of security to your computer. For those users on older versions of Windows, they are always at risk of exploitation by any known hacker exploits. Internet security tools keep your system secure to only an extent, but you’ll want to ensure everything is kept up-to-date, and that includes your security software, to ensure hackers cannot exploit your system.

9. Don’t Download Illegal Connect

When end users opt to download pirated content from illegitimate sources, it comes with its own set of dangers. This is mainly because such software is unverified, meaning hackers could have embedded a malicious file into the program. Clicking on links without taking any precautions is another way for your system to become infected with a malicious files. It’s in your best interest to be vigilant at all times.

10. Use a Password Manager

When you use complex passwords for all your different accounts, it can prove rather difficult to remember all of them. This is why password manager tools exist. Through the use of these tools, the end user need only remember one password, the password to access the tool, where all your other complex passwords will be held. There are many of these tools around, some use encryption, which you should definitely be after, and some are capable of auto-fill, which means they will automatically add the password to the corresponding web page, the moment you access it.