When the World Wide Web first came into existence in the 1990s, it opened new possibilities as well as a whole new threat. Spam has infiltrated email accounts, computer viruses wreaked destruction on company networks, and hacking became a problem. Hackers can steal your personal information, take over your online bank or credit account, and sell it on the dark internet.
Today, your online life is more complicated than ever. You’re using your smartphone to shop online, bank online, make use of Facebook and even your IoT devices and internet-connected appliances track and record your activities. Hackers can access all of the information, regardless of whether they’re an element of a criminal organization or a random individual with an agenda to influence the political scene.
To protect against hackers, create strong passwords on each of your online accounts. You should also make use of a password manager that is secure to keep track of them. Consider the use of two-step authentication, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to enter a code that has been sent to your email or phone address, in addition to your password each time you log into. Encrypt your hard drive so that hackers can’t access your data, even if you are able to gain control over your computer or mobile device. Also be sure to disable “run as administrator” on your computers, do not jailbreak or root your phones, and close down your computer instead of running all day (all-time running slows down your device’s performance and opens the door to cyberattacks). You can lower your risk by using the right software for malware scanning, uninstalling and data encryption.
