Cybersecurity is an integral component of any business, regardless of its size. In this article, you will find 7 tips that you can use to suitably secure your system from malicious attacks.
- A hacker is a cybercriminal whose sole intention is to gain unauthorized access to your system and/or network, usually with the intent to steal confidential data, such as business data or financial information.
- There are many tools and programs you can use to protect your system while using it. such as firewalls and antivirus scanners.
- If you have a mobile device, then you can better protect it by disabling Bluetooth when you’re not using it. Being careful when connected to a network is also important, as well as ensuring you have all the appropriate internet security software installed on your device.
When the World Wide Web first emerged in the 1990s, it spawned entire industries, bringing forth a wide variety of possibilities, but with its introduction, there has been a levy of downsides. Almost right from the beginning, end users started to receive hundreds of spam emails to their accounts, with computer viruses infiltrating and wreaking havoc on businesses. Computer hacking was now a thing, as it was defined as a method of theft, that included infiltrating someone’s system, stealing personal affix, tricking an end user into giving them personal/sensitive information, and using the obtained data to extort sensitive data out of them, such as banking credentials or businesses secrets, and in some cases, personal identities.
1. Install Antimalware and Antispyware Software
Spyware and malware is capable of infiltrating your system and doing damage to it. When looking at the various antispyware and antimalware tools, you should be looking at for quality. You want one that is capable of carrying out full scans of your system, capable of updating its malware and spyware definitions automatically, and on a periodic basis, as well as quarantining any malware or spyware that it finds.
Most end users like to simplify the process by purchasing an antivirus scanner that comes with both malware and spyware capabilities. But in truth, there’s no one tool that is capable of detecting everything. That’s why the best approach is a multi-layered one. You want to have several security tools running on your system, all with their own focus.
2. Use a Firewall
The latest Windows and Mac operating systems come with built-in firewall programs. These programs are designed to act as a barrier between your system and the greater World Wide Web. A firewall program will prevent hackers from accessing your network, and will notify you when attempts have been made.
Before you access the net, you want to ensure your firewall program is running and ready for us. There are also hardware firewalls which you can purchase from companies like Fortinet, Sophos and Cisco. However, if you have a broadband router, it’s very likely that it already has a built-in firewall on it, all you need to do is enable it. If you run a fairly large business, then you can never go wrong with purchasing a network firewall.
3. Use Complex Passwords
One of the more effective ways to prevent intrusions into your network is through secure passwords. Secure passwords are much more difficult for hackers to brute force attack or guess.
Secure is essentially another word for complex. When creating a complex password, you want to go with something that has at least 8 characters, that combines both uppercase and lowercase letters, has a combination of both letters and numbers, and also uses symbols and special characters (if supported). Hackers have brute force tools that are highly adept at cracking easy to guess passwords.
Don’t use anything recognisable words in your passwords, such as names or places or birthdays, or anything else that can be easily connected to you. Make sure you have a unique password for every account. If you have a lot of passwords, then you can always invest in a password manager. There are many of them around, like LastPass, Password Boss etc.
4. Don’t Access Confidential Information on a Public Network
This should be something that everyone is already hip to, but the reality is that there are so many people that make the mistake of checking their bank accounts or make online purchases while on a public Wi-Fi network. It’s always best for you to do this on your private and secure network, whether at home or at your business premises.
5. Learn the Basics of Computer Security
The most effective form of computer security begins with the end user. If you have a company that does not have any security awareness program in place that is something you should definitely consider adding. When your employees have at least some understanding of the dangers online, it can help them better mitigate the risks for the future. You should also have at least some understanding of computer security, as it will also help you, when it comes to making decisions that protects your company.
6. Back Up Your Data
If you run a business or have a home computer, you should already be backing up your hard drives. If you are not, then it’s something you should start, ASAP. Backing up your data is seen as a contingency plan, in the event that a hacker is successful in infiltrating and destroying your personal data.
You want to be in a position where you are able to get your systems and your network back up and running in no time, in the event of a data breach. Both Mac and Windows have backup capabilities in the form of File History and Time Machine, so these are places where you may want to start. You should also have external hard drives, which you can use as a backup source.
7. Use Two-Factor Authentication
When it comes to computer hackers, your password acts as your first line of defense, but you can boost this protection by adding an additional layer. A lot of sites today offer two-factor authentication, which increases your security by adding an additional mode of security, such as a numerical code, that is sent to your email address or mobile phone, during the sign-in process of an account.