10 GREAT TIPS TO KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DATA SAFE FROM HACKERS
- sekurety7
- May 9, 2016
- 5 min read
As life advances so does technology and the social networking fever, furthermore as these advancements occur, the methods of phishing also progress each day. Many internet users consider that they are safe from internet hacking and it cannot befall them. What they are uninformed of is that, only a single successful attempt of a hacker can cause their data to be compromised and they can lose all their private information leading to financial and representational loss.
In order to mitigate these risks of losing data, these steps can be taken into consideration:
1. Run Software Updates Often
The first and foremost step is to download and install the latest operating system like Windows, Linux, MAC OS and update it every now and then in order to maintain it.Many people do download the freeware software’s, but do not run updates on them which ultimately causes viruses and spyware activity in the system. It is most desirable to choose multi-faceted PC security software that helps in protecting from any kind of spam, theft, and virus and phishing activity.Update these software’s at least once a week this is of most importance because these operating systems issue security patches that help in fixing plug in’s and security holes, otherwise if the program is outdated it would be more prone to hacking.
2. Add Security Layers
A firewall acts as a security layer between the internet and the computer. It basically prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewall examines all the data passing or messages being conveyed and blocks any that is hindering the security. Mostly computers have a pre-installed firewall system, but other types like professional and free downloadable versions are also available on the internet. Anti-viruses are an add-on to the security and their scans should be run often. These help in inspecting the Incoming traffic.
3. Use closed lock
Many free programs that are being downloaded through the internet can be malicious leading to the leakage of your personal and confidential information, although at first they seem to have no harm, but when clicked on the link they are scam software that delivers Trojans.In every browser a padlock symbol should be present, which appears with a URL “http:/” and an icon of closed lock which depicts that the site and the data entered in it is safe.Sites without this icon can lead to stealing of personal data if any passwords or personal information is entered.
4. Avoid Public Wi-Fi
To make your personal information secure avoid public Wi-Fi especially if any banking details or online banking is to be done. Never do it through a public Wi-Fi because a lot of other users are sharing the same network and it becomes easier for them to sniff data packets which they ultimately translate into the actual data with ease. Another problem of public Wi-Fi is that from a Wi-Fi network radio waves travel through walls so a single antenna can be used by the hacker to steal all the personal data which then no longer remains yours!
5. Check History
By checking the history of your personal data you can stay updated with the current as well as the previous status of your personal data and timely checking the data gives a good judgement whether anything wrong is going or not with your confidential information, as you should have a backup of your critical data.
6. Email Verification
Fraudulent emails and websites have become a common way for the hackers to track your personal data so, Beware of such emails which you don’t recognize. Don’t open such mails or any links in it. Sometimes chain emails might ask for your personal data or in some cases an email from your bank asking for your personal details by clicking on some link might be seen. Never open these emails, websites or attachments as they are malware, instead call your bank first to confirm whether they have sent such mail or not.
7. Create a strong Password
When selecting a password don’t create passwords that are too easy or predictable, use a password that can’t be guessed. Even the uses of online password generators are hackable and generated by a database of different passwords that are randomly selected for each visitor. It takes special software to create un-hackable passwords.
In Hotmail the common questions asked are”what is your mother’s maiden name” or “which place were you born?” mostly this sort of information is easily hacked. In order to create a strong password, use upper case and lower case alphabets along with numbers and symbols. Your password should be 8-12 letters. Never save your password to any online service and in addition to this keep different passwords for different sites. For online payments and credit card bills here is a million dollar tip! Never save your password and change your passwords often so they are less traceable if you are not using special software that would secure your information.
8. Webpage Encryption
Encryption helps the data conversion into a form called cipher which is difficult to understand by people who are unauthorized. AES and PGP are two different, widely used encryption algorithms used to encrypt data. New encryption algorithms are available and should be considered as hackers are constantly getting closer to breaking the algorithms of those two. Others to consider is KED (Kurety Encryption/Decryption) and KPG (Kurety Password Generator) by security software startup KuretySoft. Encryption is an art of safe communication via the internet.
One of the other encryption security software is the SSL security certificate; it is used to make the browser secure and guard any online transactions. If the encryption is not done an attack would sniff information making it insecure. Hideninja VPN is another encryption code that is used widely.If you need to transfer some sensitive information between the site and the server, add an encryption layer of TLS (Transport Layer Security).
9. Data Backup
Imagine your personal data being hacked and what if you have no backup? For these worst case scenarios keep a copy of all the important files as well as regularly backup data such as in the Zip disk, CD-ROM etc.
One can also use software backup tools which are available easily over the net. Another option can be backing up the data in multiple locations.
10. Website Security Tools
These protect the data from intrusion and include tools like McAfee which gives complete protection against phishing. These are different protocols used to provide internet security when the information is to be transferred from the website to the webserver in a database. Anti-viruses can also be downloaded either free of cost or paid as they are anti-spyware, scanning them thoroughly removes any malicious code that can cause damage to the confidentiality of information.