Cybercrime is at an all-time high in today’s world, which can be highly dangerous for your personal information. Cybercriminals are smarter than ever, and it can be difficult to know you’re doing to right things to protect yourself online. Cover your bases, and learn the basics of protecting yourself from cybercriminals with these steps.
Install ad blockers
One of the first things you should do to protect yourself against hackers and people who are going to try to steal your information is installed ad blockers. Pop-ups on your computer aren’t just annoying, they can also provide to be very dangerous, as hackers can use them to steal your information or download malware onto your computer. Installing ad-blockers is a very simple step, that can save you a lot of time and headache down the road. In addition, , ake sure that on your computer, you download up-to-date security programs, including anti-malware software with multiple technologies for protecting against spyware.
Use unique passwords
As you already know, passwords are important, which you probably already know. Specifically, creating strong, complicated passwords, and varied passwords for different accounts can help protect your information because it will minimize the potential for hackers and identify theft perpetrators to be able to steal your information. Make sure you change these passwords often, especially on your email and any bank accounts.
Watch what you plug into your computer
One of the most dangerous things to do is download software onto your computer from an untrusted source, but second to that is plugging a flash drive or some other untrusted cable into your computer. Only use trusted cables, such as those from Koincable factory, and make sure you are familiar with the person or company who gave the appliance to you.
Cover your computer camera
Unfortunately, it’s very possible for hackers today to manipulate the built-in camera on your laptop. They are even able to use the camera to take photos and videos of your home: of you, of your family, and more. Once they have access to this information and this footage, they can sell it, hold it for ransom, and worse.
In addition, once they access your outward facing computer camera, they may also be able to access your computer screen, including the information that you frequently navigate to, which can be highly personal. From there, they may be able to access personal accounts and see everything that you see from the comfort of your computer screen.
To protect yourself, cover the camera on your computer when you’re not using it. This is a simple step to take, but it can save you a lot of issues. Even a simple post-it note over your camera will work.
Stay away from open WiFi networks
Free, public WiFi is nice, but it’s actually very dangerous when it comes to protecting your personal information. Hackers and cybercriminals are able to easily access devices from public, open WiFi networks, so you should never check your bank account information while you’re in a public place, like an airport, and connected to the open WiFi network. Only check these sensitive accounts when you’re at home, or protected by a private WiFi network.
Use-two step verification when possible
So many platforms are offering two-step authentication for logins, and this trend is only becoming even more popular due to how effective it is. Two-step verification helps protect your information, should someone penetrate the first layer of your security system. The two-step verification requires your authentication from a secondary device, usually your cell phone, which will help your information stay even safer and protected. If you do it with no other platforms, be sure to enable two-step verification for your email accounts.
As you can see, none of these steps is particularly hard, but making the time to enable these protective methods will give you the best chance of keeping your personal information safe.
