Cyberattacks aren’t just something that happens to other people, they’re a real-world threat to businesses, individuals, and even governments. Hackers are smart, sneaky, and persistent. The good news is that with a little strategic effort, you don’t have to be helpless. Employing the right habits and strategies can help make it very hard for hackers to mess with you. In this month’s newsletter, we talk about how to get better at keeping hackers out of your network.
Understand That You Are a Target
Everyone is very capable of being hacked and this is important to understand. Hackers often don’t care who you are. Sometimes they’re looking for a big payday, other times they’re just looking for easy targets. If you have an email account, social media, bank info, or just access to a computer, you’re interesting enough. Accepting that you’re a potential target is the first step toward better protection.
Strengthen Your Passwords
Weak passwords are like leaving your front door wide open with a big neon sign inviting them in. Hackers use automated tools that can guess simple passwords in seconds. Make your passwords long, mix up letters, numbers, and symbols, and never reuse the same password across accounts. One good tool that will help you manage passwords is to use a password manager to create and store strong passwords for you. One strategic investment in a good password manager, and your whole team will only need to remember one master password.
Embrace Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication is like adding a second lock to your door. Even if a hacker steals your password, 2FA makes them need a second piece of information—usually a code sent to your phone—to get in. Always turn on 2FA for your email, financial accounts, and anything else important.
Keep Your Software Updated
Updates aren’t just about getting new features or fixing bugs, they often patch security holes that hackers love to exploit. Outdated software is low-hanging fruit for hackers. Make sure your computer, phone, apps, and antivirus programs are always updated to the latest versions.
Recognize and Avoid Phishing
Phishing is when hackers try to trick you into giving away your login info, financial information, or other sensitive data by pretending to be someone you trust. They might send an email that looks like it’s from your bank, your boss, or even a friend. You’ll need to always double-check the sender’s email address, hover over links to see where they really go, and when in doubt, don’t click. When something feels off, it probably is.
Back Up Your Data
If a hacker locks your files with ransomware or somehow wipes out your data, you’ll be glad you have a backup. Use cloud backups to keep copies of your important files, while also making sure the backup is disconnected from your main system once the backup is complete, so hackers can’t get to it, too.
Stay a Moving Target
Hackers are always probing for weaknesses, but they’re usually after the easiest victims. By doing these simple things, you make yourself a very hard target. Hackers have no choice but to see that and move on to someone else who’s not paying attention.
Staying secure isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being just secure enough that hackers don’t think you’re worth the effort. To learn more about how our knowledgeable professionals can help you position yourself to not be a target, give us a call today at (616) 828-5360.