The minute you have an online presence, you are setting yourself up for the risk of being hacked by unscrupulous people. The concerning part is that your identity may be stolen, your bank account cleaned out, and your life turned topsy-turvy without the presence of a physical perpetrator. But there are ways to protect yourself from diabolical hackers and make your online presence more secure.
Avoid sharing passwords
Sharing a password refers to using one common password for more than one purpose, such as for your online banking, emails, social media, etc. It is definitely difficult to remember tons of unique passwords for different websites and people tend to use a common on for all. But you could be setting yourself up for disaster, because if one of those sites gets hacked, chances are, all your personal information will be at the mercy of a hacker. You need to be most wary of your email password, because if a hacker manages to break into that, they could get access to many other accounts and be able to reset passwords.
Change your passwords often and make them long
Make it a practice to change your password every one or two months. Be sure that the password you use is relatively difficult to guess. Avoid using personal information as your password, like the name of your cat or your favorite food. There are software packages out there that scan a large number of passwords to find out which ne might work. Hackers can easily get access to these tools. What is more important than the complexity of the password you choose is its length. The longer your password, the more time hacking software will take to crack it. Hackers want quick results and are unlikely to spend too much time cracking a password that is lengthy. Most email providers offer a two-pronged approach for security, wherein you sign on as usual with your password, and then an additional access code is sent to the phone number linked to your account.
Make sure your system is up-to-date
Hackers are known to heavily abuse programs like Microsoft, Acrobat PDF reader, and Java. These programs offer upgrades that keep hackers at bay. That is why it is essential to keep these programs up to date. If you no longer use software, uninstall it.
Use a good antivirus software
Most antivirus programs in the market are great for protecting your computer from threats nearly 95% of the time. But that 5% gap leaves a lot of room for hackers to seize your data. Choose one like Microsoft Security Essentials, which offers protection from malware, spyware, and viruses. Firewalls are also great for additional protection, provided they are kept up-to-date, as many hackers have learnt how to make their way around them.
Visit secured websites while browsing
Most websites use the basic Hypertext Transfer Protocol. You can tell because they start with "http". When a website begins with 'https,' the 's' on the end stands for 'secure'. This authenticates the web server as well as the website you are visiting. A great way to safeguard your browsing experience is to download HTTPS Everywhere, a free add-on for Firefox, Chrome and Firefox for Android and Opera, which directs users to an https site whenever possible.
Be cautious with your email
Many viruses and Trojans spread through the attachments of emails. If you don't know the person who has sent you the email, avoid opening the attachment. Remember, that sometimes, even friends who have been hacked might send you infected emails. You should be suspicious if a friend has sent you a mail without a subject line, a subject line that only reads 'FW' or 'RE', or something that is completely uncharacteristic of the person in question, for instance, 'I've been missing you' subject line from your former boss. Be extra cautious if the email text has an Internet link.
Be mindful about what you are clicking
There is no such thing as a free lunch. This holds true for the world of the Internet, too. Don't be a sucker and click links that promise you free gifts or prizes. Additional red flags are offers for free screensavers, smileys and coupon-printing software. Piracy, too , comes with its own set of Trojans. If you must indulge in piracy, be mindful about where you are downloading your movies and music from. Most peer-to-peer networks are filled with malware.
Watch out for third-party security alerts
You might be browsing the web and all of a sudden you are presented with a pop-up that informs you about the virus you are infected with. This is most likely a scam to get you to download harmful files. You may also receive messages stating that you can upgrade your protection by using your credit card to purchase something online. This can have disastrous effects. Some hackers even go to the extent of hiring call centers to pose as members of reputed companies like Microsoft to tell unsuspecting users that a virus has been detected and in order to fix it, they need to download a certain software. Once they do that, all hell breaks loose.
Beware of software downloads
Be cautious about any software that you seem to be getting at a discount or for free as it probably has some malware in it. Most software should be bought conventionally, from the website of a manufacturer and not through links. Be extra careful about UDB flash drives too, especially if you share it with other people. There is a lot of software that can be stowed away on it which, once connected to your computer, may give hackers access to your personal information.
Be alert about apps on your Smartphone
Your smartphone is an extension of your digital presence. Whatever you can do with a computer, you can now do with a smartphone, too. That is why it is important to take as many precautions with your smartphone as you would with your computer or laptop. Only download apps that come from reputed sources.
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