There is rarely a day that goes by without there being a reference to an online breach of security being mentioned in the media, and it makes you question how you can protect yourself online if the big corporations can’t manage it. Privacy and data protection is big news, and internet users are becoming more aware of the implications that breaches can have on their everyday.
To help protect yourself online, read on for 3 ways that you can keep safe online.
- Security
There is little more annoying and frustrating than your device telling you that it needs to restart to implement some new security feature. You will be tempted to click the try later option; however, these updates are crucial to your online security and offer up to date protection against the most recent viruses and scams that have been identified. Next time you are informed an update is available, access it immediately; take the opportunity to make a coffee and have some quiet time while it updates and restarts.
If you have an online business, how you protect, and store your customers’ data is critical – their personal details and banking information that you need to complete a financial transaction is gold dust to cyber criminals, and you must appreciate the levels that they will go to get this information. It is important to use the appropriate security for your data, for example, cloud access security broker provides protection for cloud-based applications and is expertly designed for this type of specific data store.
- Use Trusted Companies
The internet is full of businesses that are wanting your custom, and they will use every marketing tactic there is to make you spend your dollars with them. The problem is that the aesthetic of the website and the products is not enough to guarantee that they are a reputable organization. If you are completing a transaction with a business, you need to be confident that your personal and financial details are secure and protected from illicit use – see the section above – always check online for reviews of the business you are intending to do business with and research whether they are legitimate.
- Personal Information
Everything that you post online is discoverable. That’s a scary prospect when you consider the personal information that you may have divulged over the years! It is easy to put the pieces of information that you have published together to create a full picture of your identity.
Congratulations are given when it’s your birthday on Facebook, you thank your mother for her gift, you’ve posted a cute picture of your child on Instagram on their first day of school. Inadvertently, you have given cybercriminals enough details and pointers to be able to clone your id: date of birth, your mother’s maiden name, and even the local neighborhood school that your child attends so they can find your address.
Think about the personal information you publish and always select strong privacy settings, so Joe Bloggs can’t see the finer details of your life.
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