Today's world is digital. Every work has become online. We do everything on the internet: banking, shopping, sports, and friendship. But with digital solutions there are some risks too. We often make small mistakes. These mistakes become an opportunity for hackers. They easily access our data. The damage caused by these mistakes is never small. Sometimes identity is stolen. Sometimes money is withdrawn from a bank account. Sometimes private pictures or files are leaked. This issue is being raised because common people do not take these things seriously. Everyone thinks that "nothing will happen to me.
In this article, we will talk about 8 such common habits that put your data at risk. For each behavior, you will also receive an easy solution. So that you can make your digital life safe.
People often ignore updates. They think that updates are not necessary. But updates are very important. They make the security of the system stronger. Security is fixed in every update. Old versions have faults. Hackers take advantage of these faults. Outdated software gets hacked quickly. Many people delay the update after thinking about it. This mistake proves to be costly. Malware and viruses target outdated systems. Often ransomware also spreads due to this reason.
Updates are not just for design. It protects your data. Phone, laptop, browser everything should be updated. The auto-update option should be turned on. This will ensure that the updates happen automatically. Your system always runs on the latest version. The updated system is not slow. Rather, it is more secure and fast. That is why you should never ignore the update.
Often when people ask for phone or computer updates, they press the “remind me later” button. People think that updates are only for design or features. But this thinking is wrong. Every update is for the security of the system. Updates contain important security patches. These patches close the flaws in the system.
Every software has bugs. When these are discovered, developers release updates. If you don't update, hackers take advantage of these faults. Old systems are easy targets for them. Ransomware and malware often target outdated software. Delaying can be dangerous for your data. That's why the system and apps should always be kept updated. The best way is to turn on auto-update in both mobile and computer. This will keep you safe with the latest security.
Anyone can have free wifi offered by the coffee shops, airports, and universities. It often seems that these are safe. But these are open networks. Any user can get access. Here any hacker is using the same network as you. You don't even know.
Hackers can monitor your internet traffic. He can see what sites you are opening. Your login credentials, emails, and messages can be read. He can copy the data. He can even access your accounts.
This is a famous cyberattack. The hacker enters between you and the WiFi. You think that you are on a safe network. But in reality your data is being directly passed to a hacker. In this way login info, personal chats, and files can all get leaked.
Public WiFi is only good for normal use, like watching news, watching videos, or general browsing. But checking email, logging into your bank account, or shopping can be dangerous. Avoid such tasks.
If necessary, use a VPN. VPN encrypts your data. Meaning the data is transferred in secret form. Hackers do not understand it. Many VPN services, both free and premium, are available. Put a well-recognized VPN on your devices.
In today's times, depending only on passwords is unsafe. If the secret word is leaked, anybody can get to your account. This puts your e-mail, social media, and bank account at risk. After login, another code is asked for. This code is gotten on your phone through SMS or an authenticator app.
Even if the hacker has the password, he cannot log in without the moment code. Turning on 2FA is simple. It takes just two minutes. Make sure to enable 2FA in Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and bank apps. It's quite easy to utilize Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and SMS codes. These simple steps give strong protection to your account.
These days fake emails and SMS have become very common. According to them, you have won a prize or your account has been blocked. People quickly click on the link. These links lead to phishing websites. Those websites look like real ones. When you log in, your data goes straight to the hacker.
Some links also make you download malware or spyware. This software runs silently on your phone or computer. Then it steals your personal data. You don't even know about it. To avoid this, check the source of every email or SMS. Verify the sender. Never click on any unknown link. If the message seems important, open the official website of that service yourself and log in from there.
People share a lot of things on their Facebook and Instagram. Like birthday, address, school name, family members, and current location. This information becomes a hint for hackers. They can guess your passwords with the use of this information. Or understand the answers to security questions. These small things become shortcuts for them.
Excessive sharing can be risky in real life too. If you post your home location or daily routine, anyone can know when and where you are. For this, make privacy settings strong. Show your profile only to those people who know you personally. Never share personal things in a public setting. Only the close people should be allowed to have sensitive information.
Consider what would happen if your phone was stolen or the system failed. And you have never backed up your data. You will lose your photos, contacts, important documents, and everything related to work. These days ransomware attacks have also become common. They lock the system. Unless you pay the money, you will not get your data back. People often find taking backups boring. They say they will do it later. But when the data gets lost, then they feel sorry.
That's why taking backup is important. Back up your data once a week or once a month. Make use of the cloud, such as Google Drive and OneDrive. An external hard drive would also be a good choice. To mobile users, the simplest one is automatic cloud sync. This is in order to have assurances that data is never compromised even when the device is misplaced.
Once you install an app, it requests access to the camera, mic, location, and contacts. People allow everything without thinking. If a bad app gets these permissions, it can steal your data. Some apps run the camera or mic in the background. Some apps export your contacts without informing you. This is a threat to privacy.
Check the permissions of every app. Give only necessary access. Go to Settings and turn off extra permissions. Too many permissions drain the battery quickly. The device can also become slow. Keep updating the apps. Old apps have security flaws. If any app seems suspicious, then delete it. These small habits keep you safe. Data remains secure.
Your data is the most important part of your digital life. You have to secure it. There is always a tendency of people to believe nothing will happen to them. However, data loss, hacking of data, or even identity theft can occur to anyone. Hackers spare no one.
The data of common people is also sold in the black market. Emails, contacts, photos everything is good. Little things such as repetition of the passwords or opening an unfamiliar link will mean a loss. Avoid using public WiFi and unknown applications, and make sure to have an adequate level of privacy settings. Such tools as 2FA, VPN, and backup are highly useful. They are not hard to use, but we have to use them. Continue to perform security checks on your gadget. Update the browsers and programs. Today's hacker is smart. You have to be smarter than him. Make your habits secure from today itself. Because in digital life, negligence can be costly.
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