While no one is immune to data breaches, good computer security habits can help you recover from breaches while reducing vulnerabilities and reducing downtime. These tips will help prevent hackers from compromising the personal security of computers and other devices.
Use strong passwords that combine random upper and lower case letters, strings of numbers and symbols. It's much harder to crack than a simple password. Don't use passwords that are easy to guess, such as last name or birthday. Keep your passwords safe with a password manager.
Use different passwords for different accounts. If you use the same password, a hacker who gains access to one account can hack all other accounts. If the password is different, only that account is at risk.
Do not fall asleep and close accounts you are not using. This will mitigate your vulnerability to security breaches. If you don't use your account, you won't know someone else is being stolen and it can act as a backdoor for other accounts.
Change your password regularly. A characteristic feature of many publicly reported security breaches is that they occur over a long period of time and some are not reported for years after the breach. Regular password changes reduce the risk of unannounced data leakage.
If you are throwing your computer, be sure to properly wipe your old hard drive. Don't just delete the files. Use a data shredding program to completely erase the drive by overwriting all data on the disk. When you create a new operating system installation, the drive is also deleted successfully.
Back up your files. Due to some data breaches, the files are encrypted and ransomware asks the users to serve them back. If you have a separate backup on the removable drive, it will be safe in case of data leakage.
Check your phone's security. Use a screen lock and update your phone software regularly. Do not root or jailbreak your phone. Rooting the device allows hackers to install their own software and change the phone's settings.
Protect your computer and other devices with antivirus and antimalware software. Kaspersky Antivirus is a good choice to protect your computer from viruses and prevent hackers from entering your system.
See where you click. Unsolicited emails containing links to websites can be a phishing attempt. Some of them may be claimed to come from your contacts. If it contains any attachments or links, make sure it is genuine before opening the file and use an antivirus program for the attachment.
Make sure you are using the secure HTTPS protocol as well as HTTP when accessing your account.
Keeping track of your bank statements and credit reports will keep you safe. Stolen data can appear on the dark web for years after the original data breach. This could mean that an identity theft attempt took place long after you forgot the data breach that compromised your account.
Understand the value of personal information and do not provide it unnecessarily. Too many websites want to know a lot about you. For example, why do I need an accurate date of birth in my work log? Or is SSN an auction site?
It's unimaginable to keep the door of your home open all day long for someone to enter. Think of your computer the same way. Keep your network access and personal data safe and don't leave windows or doors open for hackers to pass through.
