Today we wanted to discuss a very important topic that's important to every user of a computer, a phone or a tablet device--hacking and how to protect yourself. Any device through which you access the internet is prone to hacking and phishing and you have to protect yourself. Here are a few easy ways in which you can make your online profile that extra bit safer.
1. Passwords!
They're annoying and you've got dozens of them already, but strong and unique passwords really can assist in preventing cyber attacks. Your best bet is to use a password manager so that you can be sure you're creating unique passwords for every account you have. The best passwords are long (at least 10-12 characters) and contain upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and a special character.
2. 2-Step Verification!
If a website, app or social media offers 2-step verification, it's a great idea to take advantage of this as it can make your account up to ten times more secure. For those who don't know, 2-step verification is when, after typing in your password, a website will send you a code via email or SMS to ensure that you are really the one trying to log in to your account. Just be sure to check your spam and junk folders if you're receiving your code via email.
3. Phishing!
Email phishing scams are all too common, and you may even have started receiving unwanted and suspicious messages through text on your phone. These are, of course, best simply left alone and avoided. Some simple things to check for to know if an email is fake and a scam include typos, strange email addresses, incorrect company names and wrong dates. Also, if an email tells you to act quickly, make sure to read it through a few times to be sure you've received legitimate information. And never download attachments or click links from suspicious emails!
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