Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
How to Protect Yourself from Cyber Attacks?
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe web is an inherently insecure place. Sometimes the price an internet user has to pay for interacting and shopping online is the ease with which Uncle Hacker can steal your information. Therefore, you should adopt strategies that allow you to browse safely online.
The renowned IT support company, EC-MSP, provides you with all the right techniques to protect yourself from cyberattacks. Let’s discuss how you can safeguard your identity, computers, mobile devices, and social media privacy. For additional tips and information, visit https://www.ecmsp.co.uk/.
- Protecting Identity
- Protecting Computer
- Protecting Mobile Devices
- Browsing Safely
- Protecting Privacy on Social Networks
Protecting Identity
- Password is the gateway to open the hidden secrets of an individual’s account. Choosing 1234 as your password will make it easy for hackers to ruthlessly crack your privacy code and barge into your account. Therefore, choose your passwords wisely.
- Avoid providing personal details on social networking and advertising sites. When asked to give individual information, only fill the column marked with an asterisk *.
- Beware of hoax emails claiming to be from PayPal, eBay, or other companies you trust asking for personal information. Watch out for files attached to such emails, particularly those with a ‘.exe’ extension, even if someone you know has sent it.
- Regularly check if you are using the latest version of your browser and if there are any new privacy controls you can take advantage of.
Protecting Computer
- A computer virus is a program that can destroy your computer’s health. To protect the computer against known viruses, install antivirus software. Update the software from time to time to get protection against new emerging viruses.
- Install a firewall on shared computers. A firewall helps prevent hackers from breaking into your computer. It will prevent scammers from using the personal information stored on your computer.
- Before downloading a program, make sure to read the terms and conditions of that program.
- Enable built-in pop-up blockers to save yourself from unwanted ads.
Protecting Mobile Devices
Your personal information is more likely to be compromised on mobile devices via device theft or loss. Mobile devices with GPS capability are a norm these days. GPS allows certain applications to invade your privacy by tracking down your location. For example, specific mobile applications for iPhone and Android devices allow users to identify nearby petrol pumps or EV chargers by knowing their location. In fact, most mobile applications of the present time need your location to offer precise information to you.
If you feel location-aware applications invade your privacy, take appropriate action by updating settings in privacy controls. Enable options to allow you to instantly wipe out data on the device in the event of loss or theft.
Browsing Safely
Modern browsers offer a remarkable range of privacy-enhancing capabilities and options. They can, for example, warn you before you visit sham websites and allow you to surf the web without downloading tracking files like cookies* to your computer. Furthermore, most browsers can inform you when a website uses SSL, a security measure that encrypts your data.
Using the prefix HTTPS – which means HTTP Secure in the URL before browsing any site, ensures that your bank account numbers and passwords remain secure.
One of the biggest dangers to your online security is a sneaky little scam known as “phishing.” It’s called phishing because that’s exactly what scammers are doing, fishing for confidential information they can use to steal your identity and money. You can outsmart them by following a few simple steps:
- Don’t provide sensitive information. Be sure to contact the company directly to confirm the authenticity of their request.
- Watch out for generic-looking requests for information
Protecting Privacy on Social Networks
In recent years, social networking sites have grown exponentially as these networks are a platform to interact with people who share similar personal interests. The amount of personal information that users share on these sites is astounding. Because of its friendly nature, users tend to share their personal information, which becomes an eye candy for stalkers, hackers, and criminals alike. Be careful while sharing your personal information.
- Set privacy on the information you don’t want the general public to know. While it may be tempting for you to share every picture of yours clicked on your vacation, be careful while doing so. Be conscious of who can see your post, videos, and web.
- Report anything you find abusive or illegal and save yourself and many others from going through a traumatic experience.
- Be cautious when you click on links you receive in messages from your friends on your social website.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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