Ana never thought she would be a victim of a hacker. Why would anyone be interested in her data and personal computer? She only used that computer to store some photos and access her social networks. Without a doubt, she never thought something like this could happen to her. Until one day she woke up with all her files useless and a message asking for an extremely large sum of money to be able to see her photos again. The message came with clear and precise instructions on how to acquire cryptocurrencies and send them to the attacker. Ana thought about ignoring the message, but she remembered all the memories, the photos of her pets, the last vacations… so she sadly decided to agree to the conditions for recovering the files. Even so, she waited days and days, never received a response from her attackers, and lost both the money and her files.

This type of situation is quite common today, much more than we would like, and despite all the rapid technological advances in recent years, cybersecurity remains a pending subject for most users.

Both at work and on your personal computer, you can receive cyberattacks. Your information can be damaged, stolen, leaked; your most personal data can be compromised. Therefore, today I want to invite you to take a tour of the five most basic but often forgotten cybersecurity tips, as well as leave you a step-by-step guide so you can measure your level of knowledge and protection against attacks. Let’s get started.

First Line of Defense: Passwords

Your password is your first line of defense against hackers and people trying to access your information and even impersonate your identity. First and foremost, avoid using the same password for all your accounts; this way, if one of them is compromised, the others won’t be.

Your password should not be easy to remember; it should be strong above all. This will greatly reduce the chances of access. Combine letters, numbers, alternate uppercase and lowercase, use symbols. Many sites and applications will tell you the strength of your password as you type it. Avoid personal information like names, birth dates, identity numbers. You can try inventing a long and complex phrase, adding numbers and symbols between words.

If one of your passwords is compromised, or you have the slightest suspicion that it has been seen or obtained by someone, change it as quickly as possible, review the security options of the service, and look for irregularities or unusual things.

You can consider using password managers. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s worth it and provides greater security.

Always Update

Many people are afraid of updating their operating system or applications and wait until the last moment to do so. Perhaps with the fear that new errors will appear or some tool they use will stop working unexpectedly, but without a doubt, this is a terrible mistake that puts your security at risk.

Often, software updates will include security patches and solutions to known vulnerabilities, protecting you from viruses and threats. If you don’t update your software, you will be exposed to vulnerabilities known to attackers.

A good option is to ensure that automatic updates are activated for both your software and its applications. Cyberattacks are not just on Windows; they can happen on any system and platform.

2FA: Annoying and Useful

I think we all hate two-factor authentication, but without a doubt, in our days and so exposed to attacks, it is a very efficient measure and adds an extra layer of security. Even if they manage to obtain your password, they will need the next step to access, and it will be something only you have on your phone.

Today, there are many options available to activate it, which go beyond receiving a simple SMS. The important thing is that it is a reliable service with a good reputation. Google Authenticator or Authy are very good solutions.

Don’t Open Links You Don’t Know

One of the most common techniques hackers will use to obtain your information is known as phishing. It will almost always come disguised as an email that at first glance will seem authentic or that needs to be attended to quickly, techniques used to deceive you into revealing personal data, entering dangerous sites, or downloading malware.

In the face of this, you always have to be very cautious. Always verify the sender’s address, even if you think it is from someone you know, a company, or a service you are subscribed to. Never respond to any email with your personal information and use and configure your email’s spam filters to reduce the amount of this type of material that will reach your inbox.

Physical Security

There is nothing more reliable than a physical copy of your data on an external drive. It will not only allow you to restore in case of software or hardware errors, but it will also make it possible to restore your information immediately if it is lost on your main device.

With properly stored physical backups, you won’t depend on cloud services or pay for storage space subscriptions.

You can store your backups in different places and use encryption methods. Automate how these backups are made so you don’t forget, and regularly check their status. These measures will save you a lot of time and stress.

Cybersecurity Guide

I have created this small guide of questions that will give you a general overview of how prepared you are for a cyberattack:

• Do you have strong and unique passwords?
• Do you use a password manager?
• Do you have 2FA activated on your accounts?
• Are your operating system and applications updated?
• Do you avoid giving personal data and opening links in emails?
• Have you recently configured your spam folder in your email manager?
• Do you have a copy of your data on a physical backup?

If your answers are affirmative, congratulations! You know the basics of cybersecurity to face a possible attack. Otherwise, analyze your weak points and look for effective solutions.

I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time to read this article. Your support means a lot to me and motivates me to continue sharing content that can be useful and interesting for you. If you found this article useful or enjoyed reading it, I would greatly appreciate your comments. Success.

This article was originally published on my blog on Hive @soyernesto

All images used were obtained from Pixabay