-Parismita Borah |
If necessary measures are not taken, hackers may withdraw money from your account or may gain unauthorized access to your confidential data whether it is your email, the social network account or sensitive files.
Lack of awareness about cybersecurity and the basic safety measures are among the top reasons for falling prey to hackers. We would like to advise you with the following 10 basic but useful tips to stay away from different cyber threats and to your digital life safe.
TIP 1
Never use a dictionary word, friend’s name, common phrases like “password”, “qwerty”, “adcdef123456” etc. as the password. These are often hackers try first. Use a password unrelated to your personal information. It should be long and the combination of special characters (e. g. #, @, $, !, *, @, %), uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers.
TIP 2
Avoid too sensitive activities like online banking or editing a confidential file on a public computer. If you had to enter any of your passwords on a public computer, it’s always better to change it later from a safe computer.
TIP 3
If somebody from an organization or company asks you for sensitive information, contact that organization directly in a publicly listed phone number and verify the caller and the authenticity of the request.
TIP 4
If you receive a suspicious message in SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, email, or in any platform; delete it and block the sender. Criminals often use these platforms to mislead people into clicking malicious web links.
TIP 5
Double-check before downloading any attachment you received in an email or any other platform. The criminal may send malware embedded in other files, even in images or documents. So, it’s better to download only trusted attachments. The file you are receiving may be a malware disguised as something legitimate.
TIP 6
Install or download programs only from trusted websites. The same software may be available for download from multiple websites, but download it from the official one, or from a site you trust. Some sites may mislead you to download something malicious in the name of the legitimate software you are looking for.
TIP 7
Beware of clickbait. It refers to content with the purpose of luring the user into clicking a link to visit a webpage by misrepresenting the true content of the web page. Clickbait contents often try to generate the viewer’s curiosity with some sensational or eye-catching headlines and luring people into clicking the link.
TIP 8
Keep your operating system and installed programs updated. Hackers often penetrate exploiting a vulnerability that exists in software. When a vulnerability is discovered, the developer company often provides fixes for those security holes in updates. Running outdated software is like keeping a door open for the criminals.
TIP 9
Your smartphone may facilitate you to configure settings so that you can wipe the phone data remotely. This is very handy to format your mobile in case of a loss. This feature can be located in your mobile’s settings or security or anti-theft tab. You can also set a third party app for remote wipe. You may be facilitated to set an alternate number from where you can send a wipe command.
TIP 10
Enter sensitive data only in applications secured with SSL (Secure Socket Layer). SSL transforms your details into an encrypted form. If a website is secured through SSL, you can identify by looking at the URL or the address bar. The URL should contain HTTPS instead of HTTP. A browser displays a lock icon or a green address bar for the SSL secured website. Avoid entering sensitive information on a site not secured by SSL.
These 10 basic cybersecurity tips are not enough for your 100% protection but certainly will enhance your immunity. Your good cybersecurity behavior is must to stay safe in this digital world.
Prepared by: Seal Risk