We’re storing more and more information digitally these days, so it’s important to be savvy with ways to reduce your risks of cyber attacks. Keep your passwords and personal information safe by adopting some of these processes into your everyday life.
Choose smarter passwords
A sure-fire way to have your personal information hacked is by having an easy password. So no 1234 combinations or your birthday. Keep it unique with a mix of upper case, lower case, numbers, and symbols. Don’t get caught out by using the same password for every account you have. If an attacker guesses when, they will then have access to them all. Create different passwords for different accounts. And last, but not least, don’t tell anyone your passwords.
Be aware of free WiFi
Avoid doing any sensitive work or online shopping while you’re using free WiFi. Because these networks are untrusted, people may be able to see what you’re working on. Avoid doing anything where you’ll need to access anything with passwords, or where you may need to enter your bank card details.
Keep a back up
Keep any important documents in a different location, not just stored on your laptop. If you do suffer fro ma cyber attack, you may be locked out of your account, or your hard drive may be wiped. If you have a back up of your information, it’ll still be annoying, but you won’t have lost everything. Do this as often as once a week.
Use antivirus
If you have antivirus software installed on your devices, they’ll let you know when your device may be suffering from a threat. Ask your tech team at work which antivirus software to download. If you do get a pop-up mentioning a threat, talk to your tech team to see what your should do before accepting or downloading anything.
Keep an eye on your bank accounts
If you notice any unusual payments being made from your bank account, this may be a sign that someone has been able to hack your account. Talk to your bank as soon as you notice anything suspicious.
Be wary of social media
Remember that whatever you share publicly on social media can be seen by anyone. People will know your kids’ names, your partner’s name, where you live, what you ate for breakfast, and your cat’s name. Not only can this information be used to use your identity, if you use your cat’s name for your password, you’ll be making a cyber attacker’s life very easy.
We use our devices nearly all day every day, so it’s important to keep safe and secure. If you notice anything unusual, or you have any questions, don’t hesitate to talk to your tech team.