Safer Internet Day: Resources for Web Security

Tech holidays like today are a great way to remind ourselves to stay on top of cybersecurity best practices. Now is the time to change passwords, beef up data security, and refresh our knowledge on what cyber threats are out there lying in wait.

Since today is Safer Internet Day, we’ll be going over some safety measures to keep you and your family safe on the world wide web.

Services That Take Safety To A New Level

Virtual Private Networks: VPN servers are extremely common nowadays, and allow you to hide your location and other identifiable information (including browsing history) from hackers, advertisers and websites. If you regularly use public WiFi, a VPN can help you avoid being watched by someone with access to the network. You can also access region-locked content, such as viewing Netflix movies from Japan when you live in the United States. Having a secure VPN at your disposal means less of your personal information is out in the open for others to take advantage of.

Password Management: Instead of reusing passwords, or trying to remember 15 unique ones, a management system will create and store passwords for all of your accounts. They can sync login information, bank account passwords, addresses, and other things across all of your devices. Automating this process with a service like Passportal will help you maintain awareness of your account security.

Social Media Automation: If you have some old photos you don’t want seen on your social accounts, this type of automation may be useful for you. If you’re looking to post the same business update on all of your accounts instead of just one, or if you need content regularly archived or deleted, having a place with everything together will help you maintain your online persona. Having a privacy app that scans your social accounts for security measures, or utilizing a dashboard such as Hootsuite can give you the control you desire.

Whether your cyber hygiene is squeaky clean or you need some touch ups, it’s imperative to make sure you’re aware of what you’re putting out onto the internet. Social engineering tactics like phishing and spear phishing, baiting and data breaches can really take a toll on your life (and wallet) if someone happens to gain control over your information.

Make sure to regularly delete or archive irrelevant data, maintain unique and strong passwords, and keep an eye out for suspicious e-mails or messages. Doing so will make sure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.