In the modern Digital Era, we’re all connected to the Internet on a regular basis. This is true, in particular, for those of us with smartphones. We’ve come to rely on these devices to help manage so much of our day-to-day lives.
Whether we’re scheduling appointments or buying Christmas presents, we’re online quite often. In addition, that comes with giving our personal information to these websites that we’ve come to trust (like Amazon, for example). At the same time, that leads us to question our level of privacy protection from hackers.
The unfortunate truth is that in 2019 alone, over 14 million online users were victims of identity fraud. Don’t worry, though – you’ve come to the right article for help. Keep reading for a detailed guide on how to keep your digital information safe from hackers.
Use Two-Step Verification When You Can
When setting up an account, you might be either required or prompted to set up a two-factor verification. If this is a possibility for any digital account you have, take advantage of it. Two-step verification security measures are a lot more difficult for the average malicious hacker.
Be Smart About What You Post on Social Media
Being active on social media brings a lot of joy, connectivity, and even productivity. At the same time, it’s important to be aware of what you’re posting on either your personal or business accounts.
For one thing, it should be obvious that it’s smart to avoid posting any contact information. It could even be wise to blur out the numbers of your street address if you post a picture of the front of your home.
The level of privacy you maintain while on social media is up to you. Just be smart about what you’re posting, commenting, or even messaging to other users.
Keep Your Software and Applications Updated
We’ve all experienced the frustration of getting too many notifications when we’re online. It’s all too easy to get annoyed with and then ignore nonessential notifications like updating your software. If you want to prioritize your personal privacy protection, though, you won’t take these updates lightly.
Software companies are always trying to improve their applications behind the scenes. They sometimes even add new privacy safety measures in their regularly scheduled updates.
If you don’t update your applications as needed, you could be missing out on this added security. Plus, hackers have more time to figure out older versions of a software system than the most recent one.
Don’t Use the Same Password for Everything!
One of the most important things you can do for digital privacy is to use more than one password. Of course, using one password for all of your digital accounts is an easy route to take. This is true, in particular, if it’s a hassle to reset or recover a lost password.
Still, you don’t want to get caught using the same password in the event your computer gets hacked. Hackers know to try a person’s password throughout all of the other accounts associated with that identity. If that password is the same across the board for you, you’re putting more of your assets at risk.
Instead, try to think of different passwords or variations for each account. That way, the job of a hacker would be much more difficult or even impossible.
For an extra layer of security, try to use different usernames for each account that you can. Some accounts will just use your email address as the username, which is fine, but not all of them will. The more variations you have with usernames and passwords, the harder it will be for your identity to get hacked.
Don’t Underestimate the Value of Keeping Your Passwords Safe
As mentioned above, it’s in your best interest to use a different password for each separate digital account you have. Once you transition to this, though, you might be worried that you’ll forget which password you used for each account.
That’s why you’ll likely want to store all of your various passwords in a central, convenient location. That way, you can access them whenever you need to remember them. You might think of storing them on paper somewhere, or you can store them digitally.
While it might be tempting to just write them down and keep them on your desk, be careful. Computer hackers aren’t the only ones willing to take advantage of your sensitive data or digital assets. All it takes is the wrong set of eyes on that piece of paper for you to be completely vulnerable.
Even storing your passwords in an excel sheet can be dangerous. Instead, consider investing in password safekeeping software.
This solution is the best safeguard you can have against someone getting access to all of your digital passwords at once. This software often uses selfie-recognizing technology to identify users, which can bring you peace of mind. For more specific guidance, check out this article about how to safely store passwords digitally.
Be Willing to Invest in Reliable Cybersecurity Software
In addition to password safekeeping software, consider investing in proper cybersecurity. There are plenty of companies that offer digital protection against threats such as hackers or ransomware.
Take the time to research the different cybersecurity software solutions first. It’s smart to check out any available online reviews or testimonials from existing customers, for instance. Doing so could indicate whether you can experience a positive experience with them, too.
Keep Learning About Smart Digital Practices Beyond Privacy Protection
You might now be familiar with how to maintain privacy protection from potential hackers. You’re prepared to keep your online passwords stored in a safe way, and you’re ready to invest in cybersecurity software. Still, it’s worthwhile to continue your research throughout the future.
Smart digital living practices can keep you and your family safe for many years to come. That’s why we’ve taken the time to bring our readers the latest and greatest technology advice of the day.
We encourage you to browse through the rest of our blog to see how you can improve your digital life. To start, comment below this article about how it inspired you to keep your digital information safe and secure.
