In last week’s article we discussed a couple of ways that you can increase your online privacy and security. This is an extremely important topic in today’s world where cyber threats are lurking around every corner. And while we would like to believe that we live in an ideal world where that will never happen to you, the simple reality is that the vast majority of people will be affected by a cyber attack or scam in their lifetime….likely several of them.
Continuing on with last week’s theme, here are a few more ways that you can keep yourself safe on the web.
- Install Spyware and Malware Defenders
While certainly not perfect, software like Malware Malbytes and others offer a great first line of defense against malicious software online. While you still need to use common sense, even with them installed, they will allow for an overall safer downloading and browsing environment.
- Keep Your Software Up to Date
Ensure that whatever operating system you are running and any important apps that you regularly use are up to date and running at full speed. This includes things you may not think about like Evernote or other note taking apps where you may store sensitive data.
- Use a Standard Account When Surfing the Internet
If you are surfing the web, do so from a standard or guest account to ensure that any malware that gets installed will not be able to wreck significant damage. If you are using the administrator account while surfing, it is much more likely for malware to be fatal to your system or to be able to gather information such as bank logins and other sensitive information that you do not want in the hands of online crooks.