According to McAfee, total mobile malware detections increased by about 48% from the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2019. As cyber-attacks are on the rise, it is vital to stay secure with your devices when you are on the go. Be cautious and remain secure on your devices because some apps can ask for access to your location, camera, and microphone. The meteoric rise of cyber-attacks leads to the necessity for taking numerous actions to protect yourself as an individual and as an employer. Be sure to include these tips in your periodic cybersecurity awareness communications with your employees. If your employees practice good cyber hygiene while connected to the internet, then as a company, the chances of being hit by a cyber-attack due to employee negligence, go down.
5 Tips to keep your devices safe on the internet
- Protect your devices with a password and ensure your passwords are strong. Set up a password on your devices before you can access them. A strong password should have symbols, numbers, upper and lowercase letters throughout the password. Don’t use any personal information as your password, for example, birthdays or the names of loved ones. An example of a good password would be Pa55W0rD!#. Many devices and applications have started accepting long passphrases instead of shorter passwords. Passphrases are generally easier to remember.
- Make sure your anti-virus software is updated. Anti-virus software companies regularly release new updates based on new malware they may have identified. Apply these updates immediately, and whenever possible, allow your anti-virus software updates to be installed automatically. Cyber-attacks are an ever-growing field with attackers continually finding new ways to trick people and creating new malware to infiltrate people’s devices.
- Be sure to manage location services and Bluetooth services. As I previously mentioned, social apps, search engines, and some websites will ask for your location and can track you. It is vital that if you choose to share your location, immediately turn it off when you are done using it. It is also important to make sure that when you are not using Bluetooth, turn it off. Hackers can hack into your mobile devices through Bluetooth.
- Use a VPN when connected to public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi is a dangerous place because anyone can access your information. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts all communications in and out of your mobile device. Be sure to use a VPN when connecting to any public W-Fi. We recommend using a paid VPN – there are many VPN providers available for a nominal fee like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, etc.
- Keep activity generic when using a public computer. Never do any activity that requires personal information, for example, banking or online shopping. Do not log in to any accounts that contain private information.
Although nowadays there are many ways to get attacked, there are also ways to protect yourself against these attacks. It is important to keep yourself protected, especially during these times, as the number of cyber-attacks is exponentially increasing. Many get caught in the schemes that attackers use because it is easy to forget to protect your devices, especially when you are on the go. With these tips, you can be on the go and minimize your risks of becoming a victim of cybercrime.
Employers - keep stressing to your employees on the importance of their personal cyber hygiene. Employees are still the weakest link when it comes to online activity and cybersecurity. Train your employees periodically on cybersecurity and cyber hygiene. Include cybersecurity in your policies and procedures, and ensure that employees are trained in your policies and procedures and know how to follow them.
24By7Security specializes in providing cybersecurity awareness training. Let us know if you need our assistance in developing your cybersecurity awareness program.
