Hey guys, welcome to ComputerWorld. Recently there has been a wave of ransomware and cyber attacks online that have left many businesses and individuals compromised. Not only can these attacks cripple your computer and destroy your data but even more importantly you could end up being the victim of identity theft. In this article we'll cover 10 steps to improve your online security to protect yourself from being a victim of these types of attacks. So here's the 10 steps to improve your online security
Update Everything:- The first order of business is to get everything on your computer up to date beginning with your operating system. If you're on a PC you're running Windows and if you're on a Mac you're running the Mac OS. If you're not sure if you're running the newest version a simple search on Google how do I find the version of my operating system will enable you to find that information quickly. If you're not on the newest version of your operating system then you should give serious consideration to upgrading. For example if you're running Windows XP or 7, you should stop what you're doing right now and upgrade as soon as possible. The next step is to make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date just like in the previous point the quick search on Google will help you identify where to look to find the antivirus software information. If you don't have this software installed on your computer you should definitely get strong consideration to this especially. Make sure the browser that you're using to surf the web is also up-to-date using the newest version. Also be sure to update these settings first of all and enable the firewall on your computer and turn file-sharing off as well. Again a quick search on Google with how to enable my computer's firewall and how to disable file sharing will get you started on the right path also require a password to be entered before your device can be accessed should your device be stolen someone will not be able to access it without this information.
10 steps to improve your online security
Encrypt Data:- Encrypt the data on your computer. If you have a Mac computer you have filevault installed already on your computer. There are a few simple steps for example Google how to use filevault Mac you could encrypt the data. This encryption will prevent a third party from accessing the content of the computer. If it's stolen otherwise a thief could just rip the drive out and plug it into another computer to view the entire contents. The important thing to remember is that the password unlocks the data, so don't forget your password put it in the password manager that we discussed earlier. For Windows users, BitLocker is a default encryption service. The bad news is that Windows 10 home users won't have access to BitLocker without first upgrading the windows 10 pro but there are other methods to encrypt the date on your computer. By encrypting your data you essentially lock it so that should your computer be compromised someone cannot view the sensitive information you have stored something that is important when we discuss identity theft in a moment.
Data Backup:- Make a backup of your files in an off-site secure location. If your computer is compromised and you have a situation like ransomware that locks up your computer and you have your data backed up and encrypted which we just discussed a moment ago you'll be able to get around this issue. The way these backup services work is that you pay a fee and then you backup your data to their off-site cloud storage. If anything happens to your computer you'll have an encrypted backup copy you can gain access to. These types of Ransomware attacks have shown how easy it is to hold someone's data. Ransom forcing them to pay to get it back without going into a long explanation. Essentially the way ransomware works is that once a hacker takes control of your computer and locks it down through a security vulnerability. You have to pay them to get your computer back or else it will be destroyed or compromised but by having your data encrypted and backed up you won't be at the mercy of these types of attack. Backup your data in a secure location.
Strong Password:- Create strong passwords. Let's be honest here how many of us use the same password for everything. Why do we do this it's simple we don't want to forget the password and have to try to remember all the different passwords. As a result we end up using the same password over and over, here's a problem with that though once a site gets hacked or your username and password is stored the hackers will then try to take that same information to other side like banks or your social media accounts gain access a sensitive information. They could use to exploit you even further the assumption is that you probably use the same username and password combination on these other sites and that's a safe bet. So here's some simple things you can do get a tool that enables you to keep track of all your passwords in one place. The beauty of these apps is that you only need to know one password when you enter your password into the app. It will populate the login information you previously stored into the site you're trying to access. Also change your passwords every three months to avoid using your name birthday or initials in your password. Also one of the most important things you can do is to use two FA or two-factor identification on your accounts. I use this on my online banking and business email accounts. It makes it extremely hard if not impossible for someone to hack into your accounts. If you have this enabled as it requires you to have a physical token to move forward never try to log into your bank account and it requires to text you a code that you have to enter at the login. This approach helps add a huge layer of security.
Lock Social Media:- Lock down your social media accounts. When it comes to identity, theft hackers can easily take the information you share online and then use it against you excited to share your birthday, your address, your hometown or your mother's name on your social media account. Think again this information could be very powerful when someone is going to steal your identity on my personal Facebook account and I've changed the settings to prevent even my name from showing up. If someone does a search online in the past, if someone Google my name my Facebook account would shown the results. But I've since locked down on my settings so that even that information is not public by the way it's not a bad idea to Google your name from time to time to see what information is out there. There could be compromising information floating around, you want to get removed.
Credit Cards:- Check your credit card and bank accounts on a weekly basis if there's anything suspicious or odd. Contact your credit card company immediately also be sure to know what credit cards you carry in your wallet and the contact information for each in the event you lose your wallet and need to call in and cancel them. When using ATM or credit card readers in public like at a gas pump be sure to look for skimmer devices as these can easily pull your information off your card. Also limit the use of your debit cards to just your ATM. I personally don't use my debit cards for retail purchases or online because the law provides much more protection from liability. When your credit card is illegally used then when your debit card is fraudulently use Plus if anyone compromises your debit card and cleans out your bank account. Now if I'm trying to get that resolved and be sure as well to update your credit cards to the newest that have the chips to ensure you have the highest level of security.
Public Internet:- Public wireless internet connections, when using a wireless internet connection in a public place like a coffee shop remember you're on a network shared by others and you can be compromised. Many people don't think about this when surfing the weather in their hotel room you're on the same wireless connection with a lot of other people and you need to be sure to turn off sharing in the settings of your device. Enable your firewall settings and visit sites that are encrypted which you can find at the top of your address bar.
Social Security:- Do not share your social security information. It's often easy for individuals to start sharing their social security information when others ask for it. When dealing with professionals or other businesses you may trust once you give that information away on a public document or online you are now trusting that company will keep that information secure. Are you 100% sure they will keep it secure? Be very cautious to whom you give this information. You technically don't even have to share your social security information when visiting your doctor often times a billing staff will not be happy about this but if they have the last four digits of your social security that should be enough. Remember if someone breaks into their offices or hacks into their network your information is going to be compromised also be extremely cautious what sites you share this information with online providing this information is a quick way for hackers to steal your identity.
Avoid Phishing:- Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails that pretends to be from a reputable company in order to gain personal information from you like passwords or credit card numbers. You may have received those emails before that have braining that is consistent with an institution or service you use like a bane often time in these emails there's a link requesting you to reset your password and when you click on the link it will take you to a site that looks just like your bank and upon entering your personal information. They can now take that information to your bank's website and getting access to it don't fall for this. These institutions will not ask for you to send sensitive information over email. Also whatever you do, don't give out your personal information over the phone or email unless you initiated that contact. Again as I've mentioned several times earlier check the site you're on to ensure it has the HTTPS and lock icon in the address bar.
Credit Reports:- Get an annual credit report, you actually can get this three times a year for free. You can do this by just using one of the three credit reports available to you every four months. You don't have to request all three at the same time and doing this does not affect your credit score. You can go to annualcreditreport.com and run this report which will let you know if there's any delinquent records on your account or anything you need to be aware of to make sure that no one has set up any accounts under your social security number.
If there's anything I missed or you have any feedback please feel free to share it in the comment section below again if you enjoy this 10 steps to improve your online security article, please feel free to like or share on social media as always be safe out there.
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