Important tips on how to protect your private online information
With
online security being paramount these days it is handy to know some
important tips for keeping your information. If you think you’ve got a
strong password, don’t use it twice, suggests CNN.com. And if you don’t
have the old school piece of paper with all your passwords written
down, both CNN and The Guardian suggest a password manager like
“1Password ($2.99/month or $49.00)” or the free software
called LastPass, which will remember, store and even generate new
passwords for you. All you have to do is remember one master password.
You’ve probably had to prove you’re not a robot, or received a
request to get a second confirmation to prove who you really are. This
is called Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), and it has been proven to
deter hackers. Discover which websites and devices are utilizing
this, and find out how you can begin using this technology here.
Concerned about protecting your credit card or banking information?
Hemu Nigram is the CEO of SSP Blu, which assists businesses and
individuals with online security concerns. Nigram says to “freeze your
credit report” and then use another company to monitor it.
Updating your device’s software is also important, as many attacks
have been carried out on weaknesses that were inherent within
the system. These weaknesses are often eliminated with patches and fixes
that are downloadable on a regular basis. Keep your device current.
Even if you have an external hard drive, it’s time to get another. A
physical one, not the cloud, which can also be subject to disruptions
and, potentially cyber crime. You’ll breathe a tremendous sigh of relief
if and when a lightning strike or a ransomeware attack hits.
Another way to protect your computer’s integrity is to “enable full
disk encryption,” which automatically encrypts your hard drive when the
computer is shut down. For Macs, “enable FileVault; on Windows, turn on
BitLocker.” And don’t forget to use a PIN to access your smart phone.
When Yahoo informed the world that one billion people who used their
networks were put at risk after the second cyber attack on their
network, it again solidified the dangers of online interactions and the
loss of personal private information. You can always choose to close
your Yahoo account. But the National Security Agency (NSA) has already
stored most of our data, so it’s interesting that no matter what we do
to protect ourselves, an unknown someone with nefarious
intent remains at our heels.
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