Top Personal Security Tricks That You Should Know

Cyber-attacks are at an all-time high right now. Of course, most of them focus on giant companies and attempt to steal either resources or data. However, it is also possible for smaller businesses to suffer similar hurdles. Additionally, individual users are not immune: their data might be stolen or devices infected.

As per Accenture’s Cost of Cybercrime Study, 43% of the cyber-attacks are targeted at small and medium-sized businesses. Though you might not be a business that could be targeted, you can be a customer of that business whose data might get targeted. So, it is best to stay aware of methods you can use to secure yourself.

When it comes to security, there are only countless methods. Moreover, data security has become more critical with the rise of smart devices. Here in this article, we will look at some personal data security methods that each of us should know.

Best Data Security Methods to Know
Let’s check out some of the data security methods.

Use a strong password
One of the best security methods you should start using right now is a strong password. It does not have to be very tough, but it should have both uppercase/lowercase letters, special symbols, and numbers, so it could be hard to guess for others.

Moreover, refrain from writing down your password or any of its contents. For instance, do not keep your passwords in a Notepad. Not only can anyone access it, but it is an outdated practice.

If you have reused passwords, please change them immediately. After all, if your primary password gets leaked, hackers will have an opportunity to access all your accounts.

Safeguard your Personal Identifiable Information
PII is any information that can identify or relate to an individual uniquely, and it is important to safeguard it. This data could include your name, email ID, home address, date of birth, social security number, and so on.

If you have any of this information on any social platforms, it is best to take it down, or it might get compromised.

Other than that, when you are online, make sure that the websites you visit are secured with HTTPS. The “S” letter in HTTPS stands for secure, and it means that all the data exchanged between the website and your browser is encrypted. You can check this by looking for a green padlock icon in your browser’s address bar.

Another method of safeguarding your PII is by using Atlas VPN. A Virtual Private Network encrypts your incoming and outgoing internet traffic and routes it through a secure server. This way, your data is hidden from prying eyes and cannot be intercepted by hackers.

Furthermore, a VPN hides your IP address, which is a trick to use if you wish to prevent online entities from learning your approximate location. In that way, you can evade price discrimination and geo-restrictions on various websites.

Use different email IDs for other accounts
One of the best security methods you should follow is using different email IDs for accounts. You can keep your banking details, logins, and passwords in a separate email address than anything else.

You can create separate emails just for your social media platform and all those annoying marketing letters. Once done with that, make another email, which more reputable services will use to contact you.

Don’t let the browser store your passwords
It is obvious that if you are using a browser, it will ask you to save your password for future reference. But you don’t have to do that. Ignore saving your passwords in the browsers. Instead, you can use a password manager on your device. It can help you store all your passwords in one place. After all, there are many security issues related to allowing browsers to store your passwords.

Use 2FA for your accounts
We all know that 2FA or two-factor authentication has become the norm these days. You can use it to secure your online accounts. For this, you first need to enable the 2FA by providing an authentication app that will generate random numbers every time you sign into any of your accounts.

So, hackers would not gain access until they have both the password and the generated number! This is one of the ideal ways to make sure that only you are always accessing your account.

Conclusion
Following these tips will help you keep your personal data more secure. Implementing these measures is not as difficult as it seems, and they can be very helpful in safeguarding your information. So, start using them today!