How to Stay Safe This New Year

It's a new year and we want to make sure that you have the resources to stay safe online in 2020. Keep reading to learn more tips.

Happy New Year! We rarely think of cybersecurity when we list our resolutions for the new year. But, having all your sensitive data leaked could cause you lots of damage. So, let's take a look at some online security practices you should embrace in 2020. 

       1. Don't trust your apps

Make sure that you research the applications you are looking into to make sure that they are safe. Check to make sure that they come from reliable developers and legitimate sources. Also, check out their privacy section of the terms and conditions to see how they will handle your data. 

Hackers and cybercriminals are always finding loophole to exploit. This is why you should tighten your security to be a step ahead. 

Passwords that are weak are like open doors to hackers. A password manager will memorize and store passwords in a secure database. Plus, you will no longer have to try to remember what the password is or where you wrote it down. 

This is a tricky area, so it is important to be safe. Make sure you don't expose sensitive and private data as you don't know where it could end up. Also, make sure you respect others' privacy. Another idea would be to try to use fewer social media accounts to give out as little data as possible. 

ISPs, government agencies, and other third parties might track your activity online and could even interfere with it. The same idea also applies to cybercriminals - especially when you use a public Wi-Fi that isn't secure. A VPN will encrypt your internet traffic and changes your IP address, meaning that no one can see what you're doing and where you are browsing from. 

       6. Go offline

We know that sometimes you can't avoid spending your time online, make sure that you take a digital detox every now and then. This can be through going for a walk, reading a book, or even meet friends. 

       7. Stay alert and up to date

With threats online getting more sophisticated as time progresses, you should have a basic grasp of what's going on around. Try to regularly look through the news in the section of cybersecurity. 

       8. Don't use a public Wi-Fi for sensitive information

24% of worldwide Wi-Fi spots don't use reliable encryption. Hackers can eavesdrop on a network and see what you are doing online and can then steal your information. This would include your bank account details, credit card numbers, login credentials. 

       9. Set devices to forget Wi-Fi networks

Although having your devices remember Wi-Fi networks it could be dangerous. Cybercriminals could set up a fake Wi-Fi network that would confuse your device and trick it to connect to the bad network instead. 

       10. Don't interact with phishing and spam emails

These types of emails are on the rise and it's very important that you don't fall for them. As for spam, you can usually pick these out - poor grammar, aggressive, and vague. Some phishing emails can be like that, but they tend to be better crafted. Just ignore and delete all emails you think could be a cyber-attack. 

       11. Use strong, separate passwords

We all know that it's important to have reliable passwords. But many people end up using the same password for multiple accounts. Here are some tips: different for every account, update regularly, make it long (try to make a sentence if possible), use spaces at random intervals (if possible), use both lowercase and uppercase letters, add symbols, try to not use a word from the dictionary/spell words backwards, add numbers, don't use obvious substitutes (ex, $ for s), make an acronym. 

       12. Avoid websites with http instead of https

Http websites are not secure, so it is best to avoid these websites - especially for online purchases. Http instead of https means that there is no security in place to encrypt your communication online. 

       13. Stay safe by turning Bluetooth off

You should only use Bluetooth when you need to share files with someone you know on the spot, then you should turn it off. Leaving Bluetooth on could compromise your online security. 

       14. Don't be trusting with people you meet online

You never know if someone you meet online is a genuine person looking to befriend you, or a hacker, or a scammer, or someone involved in espionage. It's easy to set up a fake account online, so make sure that you don't blindly trust someone who is being too friendly online. 

You have now reached the end of this post. We hope that you were able to learn some tips that you can use in 2020. Stay safe all year long! 

If you have any comments or questions, use the section below. 

Looking to learn more about security? Look at our security awareness kit to stay up to date. 

Sources:

Mocan, Tim. (2019). 10 Ways to Stay Safe Online. Retrieved January 7, 2019 from https://www.cactusvpn.com/beginners-guide-online-security/10-ways-to-stay-safe-online/

NordVPN. [NordVPN.com - The world's most advanced VPN]. (2020, January 2). How to Stay Safe Online in 2020 | Nord VPN. [Video File]. Retrieved January 7, 2020 from https://youtu.be/fJP2KMOBlLQ