We spend most of our lives online. The digital world has become an inseparable part of humanity. Just like the physical world, the digital human world brings with it risks of safety and security.
From hackers, thieves, blackmailers, and many more, there are tons of digital harm we are exposed to. Luckily, there is an equal number of advanced modern technologies working to make us safer. In this article, we’ve consulted with top-notch tech experts from RealSpyApps.com to explore the 5 best ways to keep yourself safe in today’s highly digitalized world.
- Secure your devices
Any digital device is prone to cyber-attacks. Hackers work 24/7 to find vulnerabilities on any device that can be exploited. While most white hat hackers sell zero-day exploits to companies at a fee, other types of hackers may exploit them independently. This means they may access these devices directly and manipulate them. Hackers have gained access to devices ranging from printers to child monitors. Securing these devices is therefore very crucial. Make sure to install virus protection and anti-malware on all your personal and home devices. Ensure your wireless communication is professionally set up, with the correct security protocols to counter external attacks. Avoid public wifi if possible.
Once you’ve taken the necessary steps to secure your data, you’ll be sure to avoid identity theft and other data breaches.
- Enforce tough authentication measures
While the easiest way to remain safe would be to avoid online presence altogether, it is not practical. Most businesses, as well as life, revolve around online platforms today. To prevent hackers from accessing these platforms, you need to put tough authentication measures in place. Make it a common practice to enable two-factor authentication, SMS verification, or fingerprint login when available. You can also use password managers to generate extremely secure passwords that are hard to guess. Avoid reusing your favorite password on all websites and apps. Yes we know it’s easy and convenient but so are password generators and managers!
- Only purchase products from reputable sellers and manufacturers
Hackers can gain access to your device if it is already bugged. Some shady sellers will sell you a device with spy software pre-installed. Once you begin using the phone, any malicious individual with proper access can read and steal your data. Others can lock the device and ransom you to restore it. As such, avoid buying any devices from uncommon name brands. Only buy digital devices from reputable manufacturers such as Apple or Samsung. For example, Apple refused to give the FBI access to an iPhone, that’s customer dedication!! A manufacturer should shield you from any unauthorized access including government entities!
- Avoid shady online platforms
Most of the online harm we bring to ourselves is usually invited. While hackers are smart, it usually is not that easy to tap any device. There are a lot of challenges in place. Because of this, they set traps in locations where it is easy for people to make mistakes and download their viruses or spyware. Free pirated software websites are such. For example, a hacker might modify a pirated version of Microsoft Word, that is ransomware! Once you are done installing and restart the machine, you will receive the dreaded ransomware message. Movie/ adult websites are also known platforms for such malicious attacks, though not very common.
Lastly, one of the most popular viruses and malware ads/scams is WebCompanion by Adaware, in it’s high time there were millions of PCs infected.And it’s still a viable virus, so if you got it – make sure to read this guide on how to remove Webcompanion from your PC. On BestPCTips website you will also find lots of other malware removal guides and PC fix advice.
- Create Safe And Secure Backups For Everything
Sometimes we just get caught off guard. Dishing out thousands of dollars for ransomware on your electronic device may be a tough and impossible pill to swallow. Luckily, you can avoid all this by creating regular device backups. There are many online and offline backup options for you. It may range from a simple external HDD to or cloud backup. Whichever you choose, make a habit to do it as frequently as possible. We recommend at least daily backups. Google Drive is a great place to start for your free device cloud backup. Quality external HDD is also plentiful on Amazon. We make it a habit to have both offline and cloud backups. Remember your backups must be safe as well!
Summary
We cannot avoid all possible harm in the digital sphere. However, we can take preventative actions, such as doubling down on the security of our personal devices. By employing fingerprint and/or facial recognition security features, we make our devices tough vaults to crack. For more professional environments, the use of hardware and software-based data encryption systems is key to encode your information. This means when unauthorized parties access your data, they cannot read it. You simply have to patch your security systems and restore backups to be up and running!
