To say security – more specifically cybersecurity – plays an important role in today’s environment is an understatement. Be it professional or personal, so much of our lives are part of the digital realm. Bank accounts, social media, email, messaging, app platforms, and everywhere a login is required are all important aspects of our daily life.

That’s why it’s so important to take stock of your own methods for personal security. Sure, you may follow the company guidelines for safe internet usage, but maybe you don’t apply those policies for yourself. It might sound frivolous but making sure you remain cautious while using anything online can prevent future headaches.

Guidelines

Firstly

If you’re asking why you should bother with any of this, you must understand the risks involved. Emails can be hacked, personal files stolen, fraudulent transactions performed, and even PC data could be lost. None of these scenarios are worth experiencing, especially when protecting yourself from them is easy to do.

Thus, to protect this info, go over a few things to see if your current practices need improvement. Start with logins and passwords. Do you use the same one for multiple logins? While it’s a pain to have multiple logins for different websites, losing one to hackers is disastrous. Why? Your login could be breached due to the different safety standards across websites. Hackers can use that data to compromise other accounts you own, like social media.

Secondly

What’s your anti-virus software look like? Do you use active monitoring on your devices? The answer should be yes, and if you don’t have some form of anti-malware right now, it’s a wonder you haven’t lost all your data yet.

Speaking of social media, how familiar are you with phishing scams and nefarious social engineering methods? If you aren’t at all, take a moment to give them a quick look over. Phishing scams are among the most prevalent cyber-attacks, primarily because they’re so successful. People are often fooled into thinking an email or message is safe when it’s not. View our article on spotting a phishy email here.

As a standard, websites are now marked by their use of HTTPS, a form of encryption. If they utilize it, it means data you receive and send is shielded from attackers. If not, it means any information you put on the site can be viewed and stolen by malicious third parties. Essentially, be aware of where you browse.

Finally

Practice common sense. When in doubt, always take the route of safety. If you don’t trust a website, name, or message, ignore it. Don’t purchase anything from shady vendors, and never give out personal data to anyone.

Keep these things in mind and you’ll have improved your personal security measures tenfold, without having spent a dime.