All of us spend time online, every day. We use it to do our banking, communicate, manage our homes and even do our shopping. But how do we make sure that our bank accounts don’t get emptied or our social media gets updated by others? Well, nothing is guaranteed to always keep you perfectly secure online, but the least you can do is try. Here are 3 very quick tips on how:
Change your Passwords
Passwords are our most basic method of protection for most devices and services. Keeping your password strong is your first and best defence. This is despite the fact that most services now are trying to eliminate the use of a password altogether (even though this is still a while away from being achieved). A good practice when it comes to passwords though is to change them fairly frequently (once every 3 months is generally recommended). Other good practices for passwords are:
- Never write your password down. If you cannot remember your passwords, make use of a password manager like LastPass with a very strong master password.
- Use a complex password, preferably with numbers, different case, and special characters.
- Don’t use things in your passwords that are easy to guess (like names or dates)
- Use different passwords for different devices and services (therefore never using the same twice)
Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-Factor Authentication requires you to use more than a password to sign in. Usually, a code sent to you via another means like SMS or a notification sent to your phone that you have to accept before the login is successful. How does this help? Well, in the unfortunate event of someone finding or getting access to your password, it will still be difficult for them to log in without the SMS or your phone. Most services, like Google and Facebook, have an option to enable this without going through a lot of trouble. This is a very good way to increase your online security exponentially.
Stay Alert
This might be the simplest, but most difficult tip. Most services send you a notification any time you log in or when you change something on your account. You should always actively monitor and react to these notifications. You should also always check your accounts for any signs of tampering or unauthorized logins, just like you check your bank statements for fraudulent transactions.
Following these tips is just the start, but this is a great start. Need help? Feel free to let us know or ask Google for help!
