Hackers have the knowledge and procedures to gain access to your sensitive information, but there are ways to make this extremely difficult for them. The following are essential tips and ideas to protect your device against data hacking;
Avoid the Use of Open Wi-Fi Internet
Most people are unaware of the inherent dangers of using open or public Wi-Fi Internet access. The use of such internet makes it easier for hackers to steal your identity and download your files. some public internet servers do possess some vulnerabilities that are never patched; hence you should avoid using such public internet or change your password if you just used one.Public Wi-Fi internet has the least security systems on them and that makes them highly susceptible to a wide range of security problems. Phishing, hacking and other malicious contents can be sent easily to the emails of users of public internet systems. In order to protect yourself from such malicious content, you should consider turning on your anti-virus and firewall protection. Though your computer’s anti-virus may be highly effective in protecting your computer but the rate of attacks on a computer through public internet can be too enormous for the device to handle.
Update Your Operating System and Anti-phishing software
Outdated operating systems and antivirus software can make your device vulnerable to malicious attacks, and this is the reason why you should update them from time to time. Free antivirus software such as zonealarm free anti-virus is very efficient in blocking hacking activities on the computer and it updates itself automatically when you schedule it to do so. To update your operating system, you to enable Microsoft or MAC system update so that Office suite will be updated from time to time.Do Not Click on Links Embedded in Emails
The best possible way to give hackers access to your device is to click on embedded links in emails and other contents sent to you. Hackers’ emails always look professional and they may even be identical to familiar email formats. The secret to avoiding hacking through emails is never to respond to emails you don’t recognize. You must pay attention to the format in which the emails are used because hackers normally send them several times.Hackers often take their time to familiarize themselves with company business emails which allows them to add or embed malicious links without the recipients of such emails suspecting such. Changing the format of your business email and notifying your associates can be one of the best defensive options you can take. When your business associates are aware of your email change, they can discard any other format, including old emails, in order to avoid clicking malicious links.
Don’t Store Sensitive Data in the Cloud
The cloud offers unlimited storage options but you should be wary of storing sensitive information there. Keep in mind that any information stored in the cloud doesn’t belong to you only. Though the cloud makes it easier to retrieve vital information just in case you suffer computer hardware or software failure, you still have to refrain from storing the most sensitive data there.There are several other issues associated with storing your information in the cloud. For instance, backup may become slower when storing information in the cloud, and with slower backup, the security infrastructure of the cloud storage system may be compromised.
Though cloud storage is more cost-effective a slow information backup means you will spend more on internet transfer. As a backup of files takes long, so also is restoring your files. Restoring files in the cloud storage system can be slower than backing up information.
Destroy or Eliminate information from Any Hardware you are Selling or gifting
Are you selling hardware in the nearest future? If your answer is yes, then you need to remove all information stored on the device to protect them from being accessed by hackers. Removing all traces of information from the hardware will make it impossible for hackers to use even the smallest information to send you malicious contents.It is quite unfortunate that many people often leave some information or files in old hardware components. When you leave files on your hardware and throw them away or sell them, they can be easily salvaged by hackers and work on the files left to infiltrate your computer system. If you can’t delete your hardware , then you have to keep it for yourself to avoid third-party access to your sensitive information.
Conclusion
In addition to the tips explained above, it is also important to use multi-level encryption software to create multiple layers of protection on your computer. Your computer firewall, for instance, can create different layers of protection that hackers may find very difficult to bypass. It is also important that you review and change your passwords across all websites and emails from time to time, using a combination of the upper and lower case plus symbols in your new passwords. It is also important that you install an anti-spyware software package. Spyware is a kind of software that secretly monitors personal and business information and sometimes the spyware may record specific keystrokes and send unsolicited ads . Spyware can be very difficult to remove, but antispyware software can block such malicious infiltration easily.You may also want to consider the use of virtualization software to keep your computer’s operating system safer. Virtualization is particularly relevant if you visit sketchy websites that bypassed your antivirus or anti-spyware. Suck sketchy websites will bombard your computer with lots of viruses and spyware. Though it is important to avoid browser-derived intrusions, it can be difficult to avoid all malicious website browsers. Virtualization can help you in this regard by creating a virtual environment when you are browsing. A virtual environment will simply sidestep your operating system while you are using the internet, to keep it very safe. It can be difficult to avoid visiting malicious websites but it pays to check for signs of malicious attacks.
