5 Ways To Stay Cyber Smart in 2021

During the past year, many people learned more about staying clean and keeping germs at bay than they likely have in their whole life. This concept also applies to the hygiene of your cyber system. If you plan on staying connected with the rest of the world, then you need to make sure your devices and your connection are as clean as possible. The month of October is known as being Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Internet providers such as Spectrum and HughesNet has led to providing a list of tips and events that can help you stay safe while you’re online. The National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency are partially behind events planned during the month and getting people to pay attention to their internet details at home.

Hygiene
Keeping your network clean could be viewed in the same way as keeping your hands clean. You can wash away the germs by using soap and water while washing away some of the germs that might be in your devices or your network by cleaning things up a bit. This step can help keep your identity secure when you’re online and can help prevent dangers that you might not even see when you’re searching the web. Use passwords that are strong and that other people can’t figure out. You also want to set up several authentication factors on your device, changing these details every few months so that others can’t access your network or information.

Phishing
When someone wants to gain access to your personal information, they tend to go phishing. There are a few ways that you can spot this practice before it occurs and ways to treat the issue.

Look for any unexpected messages that you receive through email or chat. If you don’t know who the sender is, then you don’t want to open the message until you’ve done a little more investigating. Many people who phish for information send messages that look like they are legitimate. However, most will begin by calling you friend or customer instead of using your real name. They tend to state that there’s a problem with your account or service and that you need to click on a link that’s sent in order to provide more information.

Don’t open any files or attachments from messages that you don’t recognize. They could contain viruses, malware, or adware that can quickly infect your system. They could also be used to gain access to your passwords so that other people can use your information online.

Make a Report
If you feel that you’ve been a victim of phishing or if you suspect that it’s occurred, you want to make a report. Officials can work with the details that you provide and track cybercriminals down so that they can’t victimize other people. You can contact the FTC or the Anti-Phishing Working Group with any messages that you have. You can also reach out to the company that you suspect could be targeted to see if someone really did send you a message.

Security
If possible, don’t use a public Wi-Fi connection. Think about your security when you make a post on social media pages as you don’t want to advertise addresses or phone numbers. Avoid shopping from stores that you don’t know or that don’t offer a secure way to make a payment. Update your information regularly as new software programs can find loopholes that older systems might not be able to find.