As our dependence on computing devices is growing day by day, so are the issues related to cybersecurity. So, with much of our personal lives being stored on devices, simple browsing on an occasional note or enabling certain smartphone settings might leave our data vulnerable to hackers.
The only way to ensure that the data remains well protected is to make a few easy changes to how we use our devices in a secured manner.
To help those who are unaware of dealing such situations, Cybersecurity Insiders brings to you some tips to help stay safe on and offline.
Stay away from Wi-Fi Hotspots- Many of us have a habit of using public Wi-Fi on go. But do you know that such networks are easy to hack and it’s even easier for hackers to establish fake hotspots? Remember, once you connect your device to an unsecured network, all your network traffic can be snooped. So, while on go always ensure that you use a VPN for all your browsing needs to keep your data well secure from prying eyes.
Always keep an eye on your phone apps- Make sure that you always download apps from trusted sources and are keeping a tab on their activities.
Don’t ignore 2FA– Many websites are nowadays offering 2FA apps or hardware to keep you and your data safe from prying eyes. It can be in the form of an email message or texting codes, make sure that you opt for such a service before its too late.
Encrypt your media- Whether it is simply a pen drive or a hard drive, make sure that you keep your data stored on such media in an encrypted form. Nowadays many Windows PCs are offering such services by default. Or else you can go for any third party service like BitLocker for securing your removable media.
Wireless Mouse and Keyboards are vulnerable- Using gadgets without wires is amazing, but do you know that most of such devices are acting as entry points to hackers- especially wireless mice and keyboards which are vulnerable to mouse-jacking attacks. Hence, you better stick to wires gadgets.
Avoiding software updates- Use of obsolete hardware and software is reported to be responsible for a large proportion of hacking these days. So, one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from cyber attacks is to use the latest infrastructure that is loaded with the latest software. Also, ensure that the automatic updating feature for both operating systems and applications remains always enabled.
Disable Apple iCloud restores- It is a known fact that if in case you forgot your iPhone passcode, you can restore data from iCloud backups which are not encrypted end-to-end. So, to those who prefer not to expose backup data, it’s better to disable iCloud backups and encrypt iTunes backups on a local note.
