In today’s increasingly interconnected world, cyber hygiene is becoming essential in our everyday lives. Good social media and cyber hygiene not only help to protect you and your family online but also protect your data amidst an unprecedented rise in cybercrime activity. Adopting the following practices can reduce your cyber vulnerabilities.
Password Security and Multifactor Authentication
- Use strong passwords, and don’t reuse the same password for multiple accounts. Strong passwords are ideally longer than eight characters and include upper- and lower-case letters, at least one number, and one special character.
- Consider using a password manager to ensure a complex password combination to avoid falling victim to brute force attacks. Password managers can help with generating, storing, and managing all passwords in one online account.
- Important accounts, such as emails, banking apps, and social media accounts, should be protected with multifactor authentication.
Your Devices
- Important data should be backed up regularly to avoid data loss if the hardware is stolen.
- Protect your devices with a password, pin, or biometric features such as fingerprint or facial recognition, and ideally in combination for added security.
- Activate features to remotely delete data if the device is lost or stolen.
- Regularly update the operating system and applications software and firmware and use reputable antivirus solutions to protect your devices and digital environment from cyberattacks and malicious software.
Online Habits and Social Media
- Review your social media privacy settings to ensure your information is well protected and unavailable to potential attackers.
- Avoid posting or uploading personally identifiable information (PII), such as your address, date of birth, birthday, or PII document details on social media or the web.
- Avoid clicking suspicious links found on the web, social media, and in emails and SMS, or downloading and opening unfamiliar documents. Verify the senders’ credentials prior to opening by right-clicking over the sender’s address.
- Be vigilant when receiving suspicious SMS texts, emails, and phone calls asking for your personal information or to verify passwords, pins, and codes to access your online accounts or transfer funds.
In Public
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. If you need to use unsecured Wi-Fi networks or are traveling to jurisdictions with the threat of online surveillance or data theft, utilize a reliable VPN solution.
- Consider a device privacy screen when using your devices in public to avoid shoulder surfing.
Crisis24 provides in-depth intelligence, planning, and training, as well as swift and actionable responses to keep your organization ahead of emerging risks. Contact us to learn more.
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