These days, it is likely we will find ourselves online more often than off. We shop, research, read, connect, and engage socially over the internet. For many of us now, our work takes place online too.
With so many different types of interaction taking place over the internet every day, each of us is sharing a huge amount of data, whether we are aware of it or not. And that makes us vulnerable to bad actors online.
Luckily, shoring up your personal cybersecurity does not have to be hugely difficult. There are simple, straightforward measures you can take to boost your online security. So in this article, we will take a look at five easy ways to protect yourself from hackers online.
1. Install a Firewall
Imagine your online activity is like that of a busy marketplace in some fantastical medieval town. Not in the sense that you are spending your days hawking flagons of ale and soldering swords, but in the sense that you need protection. If this hypothetical marketplace took place out in the open, it would be exposed to malicious thieves, rogues, spies, and invaders of all sorts. Traders in the marketplace would have very little recourse to prevent these types of attacks, and no interaction would be guaranteed safe. The marketplace would, in effect, be ‘naked’.
Installing a firewall on your router is kind of like giving your home internet a moat, fortress walls, and a diligent gatekeeper. The firewall will assess the security of each possible incoming online interaction, preventing the bulk of suspicious web traffic from ever passing through the castle gates. It will work to alert you to requests from apps that may want to connect to the network and will help to determine whether unsolicited incoming traffic, like pop-ups and ads, poses a threat. Installing a firewall is a great way to protect your home internet network, and a great first step to securing your online interactions.
2. Download a VPN
Once you have your firewall installed, the next step will be to download a VPN. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to surf the web anonymously. It reroutes your IP address through a tunnel that masks your identity and geolocation. This means that, with a VPN installed on your browser, you can adjust where you would like the internet (and anyone watching your activity on the internet) to think you are browsing from.
For workers and activists in countries with restrictive regimes, a VPN is a valuable tool for accessing information that would otherwise be blocked by online censors. But installing a VPN is a smart move even for people in countries where the entirety of the internet is accessible. Since your online activity is anonymized, masked, and encrypted, you can rest assured that any would-be hackers will have a much harder time accessing your sensitive data, or following your live online activity.
3. Download System Updates Regularly
Every so often, each of us sees a window pop up on our laptop, tablet, smartphone, or another device, asking whether we want to download the latest system update and restart or postpone. While some of us may diligently download the latest update every time, others may feel a strong temptation to ignore the alert. Downloading a system update may be inconvenient- it does mean that you will not be able to use your device for half an hour or so- but it is also essential.
As hackers develop more sophisticated techniques for accessing your information, impersonating your identity, and installing malware on your browser, cybersecurity experts develop increasingly advanced measures to combat these techniques. So the latest system update will likely include the most up-to-date cybersecurity measures to keep your system secure.
Make a habit of regularly downloading your system updates across all devices to make sure the security protocols are up to par. If you schedule a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly system update hour into your calendar, then you will be developing a healthy habit sure to keep your devices more secure.
4. Get a Password Manager
Passwords are at the core of every cybersecurity protocol. Each time you log in to your laptop, email, online bank account, healthcare profile, or digital workplace, you will be required to enter a password. With a simple phrase or word protecting all of that sensitive information, you will want to make sure it is as secure as possible.
Follow good password hygiene to help confound hackers. The more difficult your password is to guess the harder it will be for hackers to access your information. Choose a password that is at least 8 digits long, and preferably at least 12. Pick a random assortment of numbers, symbols, upper case, and lower case letters. Never use an easily guessed word or phrase, such as your favorite color, your address, a special anniversary, or the name of your pet.
You should also avoid the temptation to repeat your passwords across different accounts and devices, even if they are hard to remember. Instead, get a password manager with built-in cybersecurity. That way you can access all of your passwords in one place while ensuring that each one is unique and challenging.
In addition, you should change your passwords frequently. If you do start a regular system update habit, then take the opportunity to change your passwords at the same time. The more often you change your passwords, the more difficult they will be for hackers to guess and use. So keeping your passwords complicated and changing them often provides you with a high level of basic online protection.
5. Use Your Common Sense
Perhaps one of the simplest allies you can rely on as you navigate the tricky techniques that hackers can employ is to use your common sense. If you receive an email from an unfamiliar sender and the content seems a bit strange, or even too good to be true, pay attention.
Take a moment to think about whether or not this could be a scam. If you copy and paste the content of that email into a simple internet search, you will likely learn a lot about the true nature of that communication. If it is indeed a hacking attempt, then chances are it has occurred before, and there will be other tales following the same pattern posted for all to see online.
The same thing goes for websites that seem suspicious. If your internal alarm bells are jangling, then it is best to pay attention to that instinct. Trust your gut and do your research before proceeding with any website that seems suspect.
Even communications from trusted or familiar contacts via social media or email can fall prey to hackers, which opens you up to phishing attacks. If your friend’s social media account has been hacked, then they can send you a message that contains a dangerous link or odd request for information. In that case, you can always contact that person through another channel. Send them a text message saying, “Hey, I got this message from you. Is this real, or have you been hacked?” Taking the time to follow up on a gut instinct can save you from a lot of potential damage down the line. If there was indeed a hacking attempt, then your intuition can save you hours of hassle and even thousands of dollars.
Surfing Securely
Hackers are out there, and with so much data being sent and exchanged online each day, we are all potential targets of spam, malware, spyware, phishing, or other hacking methods. But by taking preventive measures, such as installing a VPN and a firewall, you can shore up your online presence and feel more protected while you surf the web.
Keep your systems up to date, and change your passwords regularly. Use complex passwords that are difficult to guess. And no matter what you are doing, listen to your common sense. When it comes to cybersecurity, taking a pause to look something up, or taking the time to update your operating system, are little moments that can have strong consequences for you. In the end, the best defense against hackers is you yourself. So don’t be afraid to rely on that tool.
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