4 Cybersecurity Measures You Should Take Right Now

Today, humans are more connected in cyberspace than in real life. The internet is where we communicate with friends and colleagues, look for romance, and do our shopping. The emergence of smart devices has made us eager to equip our houses with internet-connected gadgets, from light bulbs to fridges to security systems. However, all these things render us vulnerable to malicious attacks. Here are a few essential steps to take. 

1. Get a VPN

A virtual private network safeguards your connection from intrusions by third parties. For the latest reviews of such programs, visit Best VPN or similar resources. The principle behind this software is the same: it masks your IP address.

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For example, if you are in Russia, you could make it look like you are currently in Australia or vice versa. A VPN is a vital privacy measure in addition to letting you access sites blocked in your region.

The same applies to all the smart devices inside your home. These are usually connected to a single wifi router, which could be easily hacked unless you install a VPN. The principle behind IP addresses is not hard to comprehend. Every device on the network, once it goes online, has a specific IP address assigned to it. If it is not private, the location of the device can be identified by professionals. It is clear why these things should better be kept hidden, and internet privacy matters to all of us. 

2. Make Your Passwords Strong

To ensure your credentials are difficult to crack, include the following in your password combination:

capital letters; 

lower-case letters; 

numbers;

symbols.

The resulting sequence must contain from 8 to 12 characters. Please make sure no personal information is involved (e.g., your mother's or child's name or birthdays), as it is relatively easy to guess for a skilled hacker. Please do not use the same sequence for several accounts and change it regularly. Finally, two-step authentication should be used whenever possible.

3. Use Security Software

Get an antivirus. This rule is known to everyone, yet some people choose to ignore it. Besides, you should also install anti-spyware and anti-malware software, as these programs will help you spot and eliminate malicious code from your device. 

4. Update Programs and Systems 

Program and system update notifications are not there to annoy you. They include essential security upgrades against bugs and vulnerabilities. Make regular updates a habit as it will enhance your security online.

Scammers and hackers today may not only steal your identity. By getting your IP address, they may acquire access to, say, a baby monitor inside your home. Now it seems all those apocalyptic movies about the rise of machines were not that surreal. Anything connected to the web today can be hacked. That is unless you take steps to secure it.

How To Report an Online Scammer

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How To Prevent Identity Theft and More

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