6 Tips to Keep Your Technology Safe from Cyber Attacks
Updated On October 19, 2023 | by William Adley
Digital gadgets, the internet, IoT, and artificial intelligence, are some of the things that have been taking over the world for a long while now. These amazing technologies are difficult to avoid in today’s rapidly evolving IT industry. We are always on the internet, leaving the digital footprints behind one way or another.
Indeed! The digital world never ignores anything, even the most negligible activity. Everything gets recorded, and no wonder we all have a digital record of our lifelong activities over the internet. You will always leave a digital trail, no matter how many precautions you take. Trails, that can be tracked by cyber criminals to reach you and your precious data.
How to Keep Our Technologies and Devices Safe?
Avoiding the internet or mobile phones is not a viable option, as we now live in a world awash in web and mobile apps. Everything has become paperless, from money transfers to travel plans; it’s all done through your smartphone. As a result, abandoning everything and returning to the Stone Age is not an alternative.
Cyber security, IT experts, and software come into play in this situation to keep your devices safe from cyber threats. Cyber specialists are now working to help individuals and organizations fight against the odds with the increased cyber threats. Nowadays, people too, are realizing the importance of cybersecurity and hence, making their career in cyber security or ethical hacking. That is the very reason behind the immense enrollments in the Master’s in Cybersecurity, as most IT graduates are heading towards specialization in the cyber world.
How can You Avoid Such Threats?
Well! The truth is that the average man isn’t a techie and has no idea what these threats are or how they work. However, when everyone participates in these activities, there should be simpler ways to keep your gadgets safe from cyber threats.
And I assure you, protecting your devices from basic attacks isn’t a tough job, nor does it require any advanced technical knowledge.
Let’s take a look at some tips to keep your technologies safe and prevent cyberattacks:
Don’t Fall for Email Traps
The most common cybersecurity threats include false email links or attachments that work as a trap for hackers and take control of your device. Always think twice before clicking on any link or attachment. It is always suggested to check the sender’s details and message context. Never reply to messages that seem a little too suspicious.
Opening a spam email can let the sender know that your inbox is active, which would encourage them to send more spam messages your way. Thus, blocking emails is one of the best ways to protect your email from such ambiguous individuals and organizations. A slight ignorance can take you to a dangerous digital situation in no time.
Never Disclose Your Confidential Data
If you ever receive a call, message, or email asking for your bank account information or other credentials such as credit card information, never fall for it. Always double-check the requester’s information. Don’t disclose confidential data to anyone because your negligence about personal information can lead to a chain reaction.
Moreover, you should be aware that no bank or financial organization would ever ask you to confirm your account PIN or password over a call. These confirmations are always performed in person at a legal branch of that bank. So prevent yourself from giving out bank-related details on calls or texts.
Protect Your Credentials
People usually tend to keep simple passwords so that they can remember them easily. However, they don’t know that some software and hackers are able to crack it out without using much of their efforts. With growing technology, different tools have been developed that quickly unlock your profile by predicting your passwords.
To avoid such disasters, keep changing your passwords, and the most important thing is, to always keep it complex. Although a password can be formed with just alphabets and digits, it is preferred to add special characters to make it more unique and complex. You can also use password generators to generate some high-end passwords to keep your data safe.
Keep Your Eyes Open
Maintain a close eye on your devices. Never leave your phone or laptop unattended, even if you are going for a few seconds. Always take your stuff with you and keep everything locked.
Make sure to closely monitor your device and check for viruses and ransomware regularly. Use antivirus applications like Zimperium to be informed in case you accidentally install any harmful files. Never trust anyone with your data, and remember that data is today’s most valuable asset.
Keep Your System Up to Date
According to Leaf-it, keeping your mobile and other software up to date can prevent data loss. It is essential to keep an eye on the updates to avoid mishaps. Organizations should also invest in patch management to provide the highest data and device security level. In reality, hackers will take advantage of your carelessness with technology to gain control of your device.
Report the Suspicious Accounts
Most people ignore spam material, suspicious emails, or fraud-provoking SMS/calls, but it is important to take action. Don’t ignore anything fishy; report the account or sender’s information immediately. Nowadays, almost every platform offers a report feature to minimize cyber attacks. You need to contact the authorities and protect your data, devices, and everyone else.
Conclusion
As we live in a digitally advanced age, we must understand that things have changed, and we need to grow with these changes. However, it is crucial to opt for proactive behavior to prevent any unpleasant incident. Try to spend a few extra seconds closely observing every activity on your device and account to avoid any cyberattack. Your timely actions and closer observation can keep you safe.
Above all, stay linked to your social media or other online activity via your active email account. These platforms send security emails to keep the end-user safe. Furthermore, you can install 360 security applications to keep your devices safe. Invest some time in your digital identity and erase the footprints as much as possible.
