Data breaches are growing increasingly frequent and can make private information vulnerable to thieves and cybercriminals. Here are some suggestions to help safeguard your personal information and ensure an unauthorized person does not gain access to it.
Develop Secure Passwords
Avoid using phrases or digits that a hacker may easily decipher, such as your birthday or home address, when choosing passwords. Select mixtures of symbols, numerals, and letters in lowercase and uppercase, and switch them up regularly. Additionally, using similar or identical logins on several websites is not recommended.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is also a great option to add a second layer of security to your accounts. You can often choose to receive a unique code via text message, email, or authentication app. You may also be able to use a physical object, such as a flash drive, or biometric data like fingerprints or facial recognition.
By requiring this extra step to verify your identity, MFA makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain access to your accounts, even if they manage to obtain your password through methods like phishing scams or data breaches. Even if a hacker has your username and password, they won’t be able to log in without the additional factor required by MFA.
Use Caution with Public Wi-Fi
The majority of free community Wi-Fi connections have minimal security safeguards in place. They are designed for easy access so that more people can use them. However, this makes it simple for other network users to view your activity. You should stick to your password-protected network at home when pulling out your credit card or entering private details.
Enable Cloud Backups
Enabling cloud backups is a smart and effective way to safeguard your personal data and files against a potential cyber attack. With cloud backup services, your data is securely stored offsite on remote servers that are protected by advanced security measures. In the event of a cyber attack or other disaster, you can easily restore your files from the cloud backup, ensuring that you don’t lose important documents, photos, or other valuable information. Additionally, many cloud backup providers offer features such as automatic backups and file versioning, which can help prevent data loss due to accidental deletion or corruption.
Have Limitations with Social Media
You may notice that some people post more than they should online. They may provide details about their life that can put themselves and their household at risk for harm. To avoid making the same mistake, you should limit what you share on social media. Review privacy settings to remain aware of who can view your postings. Also, use caution when revealing your location, birthday, hometown, or other intimate facts.
Beware of Attachments and Links
Cybercriminals are cunning and frequently craft phishing schemes to appear to be official correspondence from banks, utility providers, coworkers or trusted acquaintances, or other corporate institutions. They will send emails to you that request your personal data. They may even attach computer viruses to their emails that give them access to your information. Delete emails right away if the email addresses seem unusual or have typos in the name and message.
Following these tips can help you protect your personal data and keep your information secure. For more information, contact a local IT firm or cybersecurity company today.
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Feb. 16th, 2023