Important Tips for Reducing Vulnerabilities and Protecting Your Online Data

• Use strong passwords, and don’t reuse the same password for multiple accounts. Strong passwords are ideally longer than eight characters and include upper- and lower-case letters, at least one number, and one special character.
• Consider using a password manager to ensure a complex password combination to avoid falling victim to brute force attacks. Password managers can help with generating, storing, and managing all passwords in one online account.
• Important accounts, such as emails, banking apps, and social media accounts, should be protected with multifactor authentication.

• Important data should be backed up regularly to avoid data loss if the hardware is stolen.
• Protect your devices with a password, pin, or biometric features such as fingerprint or facial recognition, and ideally in combination for added security.
• Activate features to remotely delete data if the device is lost or stolen.
• Regularly update the operating system and applications software and firmware and use reputable antivirus solutions to protect your devices and digital environment from cyberattacks and malicious software.

• Review your social media privacy settings to ensure your information is well protected and unavailable to potential attackers.
• Avoid posting or uploading personally identifiable information (PII), such as your address, date of birth, birthday, or PII document details on social media or the web.
• Avoid clicking suspicious links found on the web, social media, and in emails and SMS, or downloading and opening unfamiliar documents. Verify the senders’ credentials prior to opening by right-clicking over the sender’s address.
• Be vigilant when receiving suspicious SMS texts, emails, and phone calls asking for your personal information or to verify passwords, pins, and codes to access your online accounts or transfer funds.

• Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. If you need to use unsecured Wi-Fi networks or are traveling to jurisdictions with the threat of online surveillance or data theft, utilize a reliable VPN solution.
• Consider a device privacy screen when using your devices in public to avoid shoulder surfing.

Crisis24 provides in-depth intelligence, planning, and training, as well as swift and actionable responses to keep your organization ahead of emerging risks. Contact us to learn more.