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10 Things to Do to Protect Yourself against Cyberattacks

As soon as we connect to the web, each activity that we carry forward with thereon is recorded, tracked, transparent and exposed. Other than hackers a

As soon as we connect to the web, each activity that we carry forward with thereon is recorded, tracked, transparent and exposed. Other than hackers and other intruders, even the government and copyright agents have deep interests in our activities and thus keep tabs on it. Tips to protect yourself from cyberattacks

Due to such reasons, internet privacy is becoming a concern for many users. Privacy is an element everyone wants in their life; at home, work or online. Experts of the internet even sometimes leave loose ends making themselves vulnerable.

Tie your ends together and have solid privacy online. Read through and keep your anonymity intact with this guide of 10 tips to protect yourself from cyberattacks.

10 Tips to protect from Cyberattacks

  • Always Log Out
  • Investigate Before Giving Out Your Details to Companies/Websites
  • Routinely Change Passwords into Stronger ones
  • Use a VPN
  • Set One Day To Monitor Your Credit Card Statement
  • Protect Your Devices With the Right Apps
  • Be Cautious When Sharing Location
  • Browse The Web Anonymously
  • Manage Cookies
  • Backup Your Important Data
  1. Always Log Out

Social media becomes your safe haven and your hub to store large quantity of data. You share information with friends and family and always make sure that the account settings are set to ‘friends only’. However, that is not enough. Intruders can still hack into your system and gain personal data. To avoid this, you must always log out from your accounts, especially ones that hold sensitive information. It is much more necessary to log out from your accounts if you are using it on a work computer or a sharing device.

Internet users think that closing the browser window is enough to stop the intruders from accessing their account. Well, they are wrong. You will still be signed in and very much vulnerable to online threats. So take this note with you and always log yourself out to make sure that hacking through this medium doesn’t happen.

  1. Investigate Before Giving Out Your Details to Companies/Websites

Asking for information is a common practice by companies which simply serves as smart way of baiting users, tricking them into providing their personal details. Many times, you must have received or seen promotional links online that offer discounts and prizes in return for details such as name, number and email address. You are promised to be entered in a lucky draw that’s fake and instead what is happening behind the scenes is that your information is being collected and sold to earn money.

If you’re in such a situation, ask yourself “Is it important enough to share my email with?” and “Can this be a fraud?”

Make sure, you check the link you are asked to open and double check the authenticity of it with people around you. If you can’t verify its legitimacy, then don’t open it at all. What are the chances you’ll be the lucky winner out of millions anyway?

  1. Routinely Change Passwords into Stronger ones

It is important that your passwords are strong. It is always a good idea to avoid using your birthdate, initials or any other obvious personal information. Stats show that over 50% people on the web use weak passwords.

Be creative and on the other side of that 50% with weak passwords. Create strong passwords containing alphanumeric text and make sure not all accounts have the same password, because if one is cracked, rest become easy to acquire as well.

  1. Use a VPN

Even though the rest are preventive measures just like this one, this is something that you should definitely invest in to ensure cybersecurity. Connect to a VPN before you go online on the web. A VPN directs all your traffic through an encrypted tunnel. If you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you will not have to worry about being hacked as a VPN ensures that no one sharing the same network as you can intercept your data.

Using a VPN also keeps you safe from prying eyes along with giving access to blocked sites. Also, when making sensitive transactions over the internet, a VPN makes sure all your credit card details and personal information stays safe.

One of the major reasons that people get a VPN is for torrenting. All torrent lovers and P2P file sharers prefer to be connected to a VPN so that personal data of the user is protected and free from attention of copyright agents while he downloads or uploads anything.

  1. Set One Day To Monitor Your Credit Card Statement

This is an obvious suggestion, as everyone checks their credit card statements as soon as they get it. However, once a month is not enough as it means that you may notice a fraudulent behavior 29 days after it happens. Thus, set a specific day once a week and review your statement to detect anything questionable or suspicious so you can immediately determine any unauthorized purchases.

  1. Protect Your Devices With the Right Apps

Developers who believe in security optimization are creating apps for a reason. There are apps to secure emails, passwords, telephonic conversations and even to lock your device and enable remote access. Depending on your use, make sure you get the relevant security apps for your device.

  1. Be Cautious When Sharing Location

There are sites that ask us for our location to perform better, such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and more. It puts the user under the public eye and every time you post a picture or status, your current location is tagged. Even when you check-in to a restaurant, you are sharing your location with the world, allowing people to know where you are in real time.

It depends on the privacy settings that you have personalized, how many people can view your pictures and status. Re-check your privacy setting and make sure your profile is only made available to those you trust.

  1. Manage Cookies

Cookies are used for various purposes such as session tracking, maintaining information about a user, a user’s IP address and their preferences via search history.

Cookies aren’t harmful but they do raise privacy concerns as it tracks the behavior of the user across the web. Another thing with cookies is that it doesn’t usually identify the user accurately, which can be exploited by a hacker easily.

Manage cookies and have a solution to your privacy concerns. First, go to settings, then go to third-part cookies and disable it. Another way to manage it is by going to the settings or options tab in your browser and remove all cookies history.

  1. Browse The Web Anonymously

There are plenty of reasons to stay anonymous over the internet. To avoid weird adverts and avoid your search popping up on your colleagues browser sessiondue to network sharing. Whatever the reason may be, private browsing is becoming important by the day.

There are various methods to browse anonymously. Browsers offer incognito mode for private browsing. Though that is only to the extent of your computer. Your ISP still knows of all your activities. To keep it anonymous from ISPs and other such agents too, get a VPN service to cover and erase your tracks.

  1. Backup Your Important Data

Make copies of your important data and make sure to back it up. Make offline backup copies to make sure that ransomware or any other technical problem doesn’t get in the way. A backup offline is the best alternative to recover from ransomwares.

Conclusion

There are many ways to alter security issues and threats. Beware of public Wi-Fi, limiting followers and access to social media, running antivirus scans and installing software updates are few of the many options as well as the mentioned above. All the preventive measures are equally important, but the most effective of all is a VPN connection that takes care of majority of the security threats and online issues.

In this digital age, it is becoming increasingly important to pay some attention, invest in cybersecurity and always be careful before you click.

Rafid Athar Biography:

Rafid Athar is a marketing professional-turned-tech writer who hasa successful career at FastestVPN that made a drastic change when his interest in technology and international cyber laws became evident. Rafid’s love for new technology is profound and well addressed.

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