Editorial, Author at Device Secure

Best Practices to Buy Online – Safe Internet Shopping for Beginners

Posted on May 5, 2020 | by Editorial | Leave a Comment

If you are a regular online shopper, you might be surprised to hear that, according to research by OptinMonster, only 69% of the American population has used the Internet to purchase any goods. That means 31% of the U.S. has never bought anything online. The same data by OptinMonster shows that, by 2023, the number of online shoppers will increase to 91% of the country.

If you are part of the group that has never bought anything online, you might want to get your first item soon. There are many benefits to online shopping: the possibility of finding the best prices, faster shipping, and even returns are easy and fast. But that doesn’t mean Internet shopping has no risks. Sometimes you might buy something and not receive the goods, or you might fall victim to phishing and ransomware, or you could suffer from credit card fraud.

To make sure you’re as safe as possible, you can find tips and tricks to guarantee a good, positive experience. To start, you can use Google to find the products you want to buy. There are going to be several possibilities available, and to make sure you find the best option, you can follow the steps listed below.

1. Whether it is your first or umpteenth time buying online goods, stick to trusted websites and marketplaces. Amazon, for example, is a good place to start, just like Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot.

2. Only buy from websites and marketplaces that offer a secure sockets layer. You can know if it is secure to buy from that website by searching for the padlock icon that will accompany the website’s URL address.

3. Do not give websites unnecessary information. If someone asks for your Social Security Number and asks for you to pay using a credit card, run. By having both numbers, anyone will be able to clone your credit cards and make purchases in your name. To guarantee you are safe, remember to check your credit card statements as often as you can.

4. Only make purchases when using a safe terminal. It can be your personal computer or your phone. If you use a public terminal to buy goods from the Internet, you are at risk of anyone stealing your information and cloning your credit card. Be safe and err on the side of caution.

5. To protect yourself against most phishing attempts as well as malware and ransomware, keep an antivirus program on your computer. Be sure to keep it updated, too, and you should be safe to go online shopping.

As an added layer of security, you can create strong–and different–passwords for each online retailer you make purchases from. If one of your accounts happen to be compromised, at least all your other ones will be safe. In the end, if something happens, you have the right to be loud about it. Report bad experiences to the Federal Trade Commission and your state’s attorney general.

There is no way to guarantee you will always be 100% safe, but if you follow the tips and tricks shown in this article, you will maximize your chances of becoming a happy online shopper.

Ways to Effectively Safeguard Your Personal Data

Posted on May 5, 2020 | by Editorial | Leave a Comment

It’s vital to protect any sensitive data that you store, use, or share online. This data includes bank account passwords, emails, and personal information you share on social media. The importance of safeguarding data for businesses is well-known, but it’s equally important at an individual level to practice good data security. Read on to find out about seven ways to effectively safeguard your personal data.

1. Automatically Update Software

Developers often release updates for software to address security vulnerabilities. Continuing to use vulnerable, outdated software versions on your laptop or computer exposes you to the risk of a cyber attack. The most prudent way to prevent cyber attacks caused by running vulnerable software versions is to enable automatic updates. Switching on automatic updates lets your software connect to the Internet, check for updates, and automatically install the latest versions.

2. Use Secure Cloud Storage Services

Backing up your personal data is always a good idea. If you fall victim to a particularly nasty computer virus or worm attack, it’s possible to lose the entire contents of your hard drive. Use a cloud storage service to backup your personal documents, photos, and other media. When choosing a cloud storage service, always opt for a service provider that focuses on security. Look for storage solutions that can encrypt your files locally before transferring them to the cloud.

3. Regularly Audit Your Mobile App Privacy Settings

There are many different types of mobile apps now available for smartphones, and it can be easy to lose track of all the different apps you’ve installed on your device. Each app you install on your phone has its own privacy settings that determine the files and information it can access. It’s a good idea to regularly audit the privacy settings for every app on your phone and make sure they’re only accessing information or files that they strictly need to function properly.

4. Use Different Passwords for Different Services

Try to avoid using the same password across multiple services. If someone gets the password you use to log in to a fitness app, you might think nothing of it until they use the same password to hack into your email account and compromise your personal information. Remembering a bunch of different passwords for several online services is challenging⁠–regularly typing the passwords and logging into different services helps you remember them better.

5. Review Bank Statements Periodically

If you use online banking or you buy items online with a credit or debit card, it’s important to periodically review your bank statements and look for suspicious transactions. When cybercriminals gain access to bank accounts, they’ll often try to mask their fraudulent activities by making small purchases and hoping you don’t notice them. If you notice a suspicious transaction while looking through your bank statements, notify your bank immediately.

6. Reduce Your Social Media Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint is a trail of information you leave online while using the Internet. On social media, your digital footprint can include your name, the school you attended, your workplace, the name of your pet, and even your address. Keep your social media digital footprint to a minimum by only sharing your name. Consider enforcing the strictest privacy settings on your profile so that only your connections can view your profile.

7. Be Careful When Using Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are available at coffee shops, libraries, airports, and more. It can be tempting to check your bank balance or make an online purchase while using public networks, but it is not a good idea to do so. Hackers regularly target public Wi-Fi connections because they are often unsecured. Using these networks for sensitive transactions is a risky choice that has a high probability of data compromise. Limit your activity on public networks to reading the news.

Conclusion

Regularly applying these tips can save you a lot of hassle and a lot of money. Cyber criminals know that stealing data is a profitable way to make money online, and the barriers to entry are low. With cyber attacks on the rise, it’s important to take responsibility for securing your personal data.

Security Tips for Internet of Things (IoT) Devices

Posted on May 5, 2020 | by Editorial | Leave a Comment

5 Security Tips to Remember for the Internet of Things (IoT)

Internet of Things (IoT) technology continues to expand at a rapid rate in the workplace and at home. This innovative technology can easily perform a wide range of tasks without the need for human assistance. However, always staying aware of the potential security threats is essential in keeping your data safe and avoid becoming a victim of a cyber attack.

Here are five critical security tips to always keep in mind with IoT devices.

#1 Create a Separate Network

One of the best ways to keep your IoT devices secure is to create a separate network. This added layer of security protects your main network from cybercriminals hacking into an IoT device and gaining access to all of your confidential data. Choosing to invest in device access management software is also a great away to prevent unauthorized access to your network.

#2 Enable Password Protection

Another important security tip to remember is to always enable password protection for your IoT devices. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not realize that it is possible to set passwords for these devices. A lack of password protection makes these gadgets easy for cybercriminals to hack into with only a minimal amount of effort. However, always creating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication is essential in keeping all of these devices secure.

#3 Turn Off Universal Plug and Play

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a popular option for many IoT devices, as it makes it easy to discover and connect with other networks. However, this feature can easily be exploited by hackers. Taking the extra time to disable this feature is essential in maximizing security by making it much more challenging for cybercriminals to access your devices or infiltrate your network.

#4 Disconnect Devices

One of the most simple ways to keep your IoT devices secure is to disconnect or turn them off while you are not using them. Disconnecting these devices makes it impossible for cybercriminals to find a potential entry point to access your network. Ultimately, this can play a key role in preventing a data breach and saving you a lot of stress.

#5 Keep Your Software Up to Date

Taking the extra time to always keep your software up to date is essential in protecting your devices against potential security vulnerabilities and cybercriminals. Manufacturers often release patches on a regular basis to boost performance and security, and enabling automatic downloads is a convenient way to ensure your devices always stay up to date if you forget to download these updates.

IoT devices are highly convenient and continue to grow in popularity. You can find these items nearly anywhere, whether in electronic appliances, alarm clocks, thermostats, speaker systems, or smartwatches. However, understanding ways to keep all of these devices secure is essential in keeping your data out of the hands of a cybercriminal. Following these simple IT security tips is a great way to keep your information safe while also giving you peace of mind.

5 Cybersecurity Tips for Securing Your Small Business From Cyber Attacks During a Pandemic

Posted on May 2, 2020 | by Editorial | 1 Comment

When a pandemic hits, governments often advise companies to effect work from home solutions to protect their employees from harm. However, as employees work from home, there may be concerns around cybersecurity. Working from home exposes business data to non-enterprise environments, a situation that can lead to data breach by cybercriminals. As a business owner, you must ensure that the actions of your workers don’t compromise your network security. With this in mind, here are five essential steps you can take to protect your data from cybercriminals and other unauthorized persons.

1. Update Business Software and Operating Systems

Before you allow remote working, consider updating the software and operating systems on your business computers and tech devices. Software updates contain essential changes that improve the stability, security, and performance of your computer devices. Additionally, they remove outdated features that could act as points of vulnerability.

Remember, cybercriminals exploit outdated software to effect data breaches and inject ransomware and malware into your computers through phishing emails and unsecured installations. Therefore, if you haven’t updated your operating systems and software, do so immediately. The process is relatively painless and takes only a few minutes.

2. Encourage Use of Secure Wi-Fi

When employees work from home, you have little control over the security of their internet connections. Some will work from coffee shops where they access public Wi-Fi. The problem with public connections is that hackers can position themselves between the user and the connection point. So, when someone feeds data to the computer, the hacker intercepts it and relays it to the server.

In the process, important information such as passwords may be intercepted. As a result, hackers can access your systems, manipulate data, or steal vital customer information. Avoid this by discouraging your employees from using unsecured and public connections. Instead, they should stick to secured, home connections. These connections should also have strong passwords to deter breach.

3. Discourage Use of Personal Devices for Business-Related Work

Working from home gives workers the freedom to utilize personal computers and mobile phones. Unfortunately, most people don’t secure their personal computers enough. They may have outdated software, which makes the PC vulnerable to attacks. What’s more, some people install software without establishing their authenticity. It’s easy to install software with malware and ransomware, and these can compromise your business data.

As much as possible, discourage employees from using personal computers for office work. You can organize for workers to take their work computers home for seamless workflow. Doing this will also make it possible for you to keep tabs on security issues arising from your work devices and address them promptly.

4. Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

There are instances when using work computers at home is impossible. This is the case if workers use shared computers or if you have bulky monitors and CPUs which cannot be easily moved. In this case, train your employees on how to use virtual private networks (VPNs) for added security. A VPN uses advanced encryption protocols to secure data shared across public or shared networks. The VPN re-routes data and masks the original IP from the internet service provider.

Therefore, even if a hacker positions themselves between the user and server, the data is highly encrypted and unreadable. Since most hackers are after easy targets, they would rather discard the data than endure a lengthy decryption process. VPNs can also be used with office computers, especially if employees are on public or shared connections. However, when using office computers with a VPN, invest in a strong firewall that can handle multiple VPN connections.

5. Utilize Cloud-Based Storage Solutions

Despite taking the necessary measures to protect business data from cybercriminals, mistakes are bound to happen. It’s best to be prepared for the worst. One of the greatest risks of network breaches is the loss of data due to malware and ransomware attacks. Stay ahead of criminals by investing in cloud-based storage solutions. Instead of saving data on local drives, cloud solutions store the data in a remote location, which can be accessed by a smart device over the internet.

Cloud-based solutions act as a backup for your business data. Therefore, if a hacker uses ransomware to encrypt or destroy your data, you can have a backup source over the internet. Cloud-based solutions are managed by hosting companies, and the likelihood of a hacker accessing data is low. Find a suitable provider and set up frequent automated backups in all your business computers to ensure you always have a recent copy of your files.

Protect Your Business From Network Attacks

Protecting your business from cyberattacks is a crucial step in weathering the effects of a health pandemic. The last thing you need is for your operations to come to a standstill due to criminal attacks. Therefore, train your employees on these best practices to protect your network from vulnerabilities and secure business and customer data.