Most of the people in the world have some kind of online presence. Facebook, for example, is the world’s most popular social media, and many have no issue uploading personal details on to the site. But the more that a person puts on the internet – including banking details – the easier it becomes for a third-party actor to try and exploit that information for personal gain.
For this reason, it’s recommended that all users of the online sphere always try and maintain adequate security. Here we will discuss some of the best practices available for keeping personal data safe.
Limit Personal Information
It’s extremely tempting to share our lives with the online world, but it’s also worth keeping in mind that it’s just as easy to take that same information and turn it against us. This doesn’t mean that a person can’t have some kind of presence on the Internet, but if it’s better curated to limit how much information is available, a person will ultimately be safer.
Use A Password Manager
Passwords are almost always the weakest link in the Cybersecurity world. Passwords are important, and most people prefer to keep a password memorised to make it easier to log into the right accounts.
But it’s easier to remember simple passwords, and these are the kinds of passwords that are the easiest to bypass. This can be mitigated by making use of a password manager.
Reputable managers will be heavily encrypted, and will offer a wide variety of different functions, making it easier than ever to store complicated passwords without having to memorise them all.
Avoid Malicious Files and Links
Another common vector of attack is the usage of malicious software to infiltrate a person’s computer. This is usually distributed by either a file download or a URL link. The former would allow a script or program to run on the computer, potentially taking control away from the user.
For malicious links, bad actors will sometimes make a carbon copy of a website, such as one of a popular bank or a site that’s usually https://onlinebingoaustralia.org/real-money/, and then fool a user into putting their personal login credentials into the fake site, allowing the bad actor to log the credentials and use them on the real site or account.
Opt Out Of Data Collection and Telemetry
A lot of apps, websites, and programs will ask if they may collect data off of the device in question, or that telemetry data may be broadcast at certain periods of time.
It’s worth opting out of as many of these as possible. Not only will this limit tracking, but it may mean that a service won’t be able to glean vital information about a user that could be used for the sale to third party advertisers.
Always Connect With HTTPS
HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is what is seen before a URL in a browser. It’s worth making sure that it has changed to HTTPS when connecting to a new website, ensuring that the link between the device and website is secure, disallowing any potential man-in-the-middle attacks.