Protecting data from hackers is one of the most difficult tasks in this age. While many people are aware that browsing is not always safe, they do not know what to do to limit it. Did you know that you could be watching CNN online and a hacker might be tracking all your activities? That’s a scary thought, isn’t it! So start paying attention to making your browsing a safe experience.
Here are some useful tips that will help you with that:
Avoid Suspicious Emails
If you receive an email that is not from a person that you know then you should be careful while opening it. Do not open any links that you receive in a suspicious email. As most of the time, these are phishing emails. This does not apply to links alone, but you should not open any files that a stranger might send to you as well. Because doing so will expose your system to spyware that will track your password. And then there will be no going back for you.
Lock Your Laptop
How many of you are in the habit of leaving your laptop screens unlocked when you go away from the device? If you are one of those as well, then you should be extra careful now. Whether you are at your home or your workplace, make it a habit to lock your laptop’s screen whenever you move away from it.
Apart from that, you should not use the automatic login feature EVER. For those of you who do not know, the automatic login feature is the one where you save your username and password for a convenient login the next time. Avoid doing that. As someone can take the wrong advantage of it if he gets hold of your laptop.
Bluetooth Vulnerabilities
Of course, Bluetooth is an amazing feature to use. However, it can also give rise to security issues. Therefore, you should be careful when using Bluetooth for your convenience as well. This does not imply that you stop using it altogether. Instead, it means that you should stop using the feature because that is impossible.
Instead, what you should do is take some precautionary measures. For example, turning off the Bluetooth when you are not using it. Now you must be thinking that option to put the Bluetooth in undetectable or invisible mode is also available. However, some malicious software can even change that mode and reveal your identity. Thus, exposing you to threats of getting hacked.
So, seems like none of the actions that one takes are enough and hackers will always find a way to cause damage. Therefore, you should be extra cautious. And have your security systems in place.
Keep the OS Up to Date
You might ignore this updating the operating system part but it is essential. As you cannot expect your system to stay safe when the operating system is outdated. Researches show that outdated systems are at a higher risk of an attack from hackers and other malicious apps.
It is sad how many people treat updating operating systems as a ‘hindrance’. When in reality doing so will not only improve your device but also keep you safe while you are browsing. So, next time you think of having to update the OS as a hindrance, think of all the good things the upgraded version will do for you and update ASAP.
Beware of Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is the best thing one can think of. However, public Wi-Fis can be the most dangerous one. Because you never know which one of them is tracking your information. And it is quite common for that to happen as many of the public Wi-Fi systems are not encrypted. The worst part is that you would not know which one is and which ones not. So, it is always a safe option to NOT use public Wi-Fi. I know that the urge to use free service would force you to connect your device to it, but please do yourself a favor and avoid connecting your device to public Wi-Fi.
At times it so happens that malware from someone else’s device interferes with yours and infects it. Under such circumstances, there is nothing much that you can do. However, you can take a precautionary measure and turn on your firewall. Apart from that, have a malware protection software in your device and keep updating it. Also, delete all the data from your device that you no longer use.
Hope these tips are of help to you. I have been lucky in this regard as Internet providers in Utah provide anti-virus software and malware with their service. However, I have added extra layers of protection and am very cautious whenever I use my device in public as well.
Stay safe!
