Introduction

Businesses and individuals alike have been affected by a sharp increase in cybercrime taking place around the world. These attacks have not only increased in quantity but intensity as well, causing data breach after data breach, leak after leak.

This has been ongoing the trend for the past decade-or-so, but the current COVID-19 pandemic certainly hasn’t slowed the increase down. In fact, the pandemic has increased the amount of hacks occurring.

Having your accounts hacked means your identity is at risk, your finances are in peril, and your life is at the hands of someone you probably don’t even know! Fortunately, there are ways to make sure a hacker doesn’t gain the upper hand, and they’re not too difficult to do.

7 Tips for Better Security in 2020

Tip #1: Use an Encrypted Network

Most don’t think twice about what they’re doing on the Internet, especially if they’re in the safety of their own home. After all, who could harm them?

As it turns out, a lot of hackers. And they can do a lot with the data they collect, from hacking your accounts to stealing your identity.

If your network lacks proper security, a hacker could walk right into your network and intercept any of your data. To protect them from this, you’ll want to use a VPN. A VPN encrypts all of your devices’ data and hides the IP address, making your data undetectable. Browse securely with a VPN and try not to worry about any potential hackers—they won’t be able to get your data!

Tip #2: Use a Password Manager

The type of password you use for an account will make or break its security. Unfortunately, many users use short, weak passwords.

A weak password opens your account up to hack after hack, while a strong password makes sure your account is secure from most threats.

To make sure you’re using the strongest password possible, use a password manager. Password managers securely store your passwords while recommending strong passwords for you to use, making password creation super easy.

Tip #3: Update Your Software

Companies like Microsoft, Apple, Android, and various others push out updates seemingly every day. But why? See, many updates—despite not looking like much at first glance—carry various security fixes, helping keep a device (or line of) secure.

Not keeping these devices secure could result in massive malware attacks, hacks, and various other threats. This is why it’s recommended that you update all your devices on a regular basis.

Tip #4: Employ a Packet Sniffer

Knowing what’s going on in your network is vital to its security. Many infections and breaches happen in the shadows, with the victim unaware of the new presence until after their network has been infiltrated.

This is where packet sniffers come in. Packet sniffers give you a real-time analysis of your network, showing you each and every packet being sent to-and-from your network. With one, you’ll be able to see if there are any threatening or suspicious packets being transferred.

Tip #5: Install an Anti-Malware Program

Anti-virus programs miss 50% of potential cyber-attacks according to a study from the SANS Institute. This isn’t to say that anti-virus software is useless, but it’s definitely not as effective as it once was. Using only anti-virus and nothing else (like a lot of people do) only makes things easier for cybercriminals.

To compensate for the weaknesses of anti-virus programs, install an anti-malware program. Anti-malware programs are built to detect lesser-known/smaller threats than anti-virus programs, meaning more threats will be detected before they can cause harm.

Tip #6: Don’t Overshare Information on the Internet

Modern social media platforms encourage oversharing. Birthdays, real names, location: all of these are recommended if not required by social media platforms for account creation, and some of this information is visible.

Of course, the more cybercriminals know about you, the more ammunition they have against you, making attacks on you and your network more likely. Avoiding this is as easy as refraining from oversharing—don’t give out information you don’t need to about yourself.

Tip #7: Don’t Download Sketchy Software/Apps

No platform possesses invulnerability against malware, not even Google’s Play Store. Many of the “security” apps found on the Play Store are, at best, ineffective. At worst, they’re carriers of malware and viruses.

Downloading these apps puts your identity and device at risk. Refrain from downloading any sketchy apps or apps that lack proper reviews and ratings. After all, it’s difficult to vet every single app that comes onto a platform.

Conclusion

Practicing proper cybersecurity etiquette isn’t an option anymore—it’s a requirement. Cybercriminals lack hesitation when it comes to pulling someone’s credit card information or ruining an entire network’s worth of devices with malware, so you can’t afford hesitation when it comes to cybersecurity.

With these tips, you’ll be able to gain a foothold on your network. However, the fight for proper security never ends, so don’t think these tips are all you need for security; there are plenty of other options that will increase your security and ensure your privacy.