ways to avoid hacker attacks on the network

If there is one season that’s anticipated by billions of people around the world, then it’s the Holiday season. Not only people look forward to enjoying some time off from their daily life, but they also anxiously wait to avail online shopping discounts.

It's no doubt that Christmas is a time of joy and it excites individuals of all ages to shop online for themselves and their loved ones. Going online means opening a whole world of endless possibilities where the good and the bad exist side by side.

When you access websites that facilitate online shopping and signup with your information, your account usually contains sensitive details such as your credit card numbers, addresses and phone numbers, which makes it a hot target for data criminals.

Cyber criminals lure you into giving your information by making fake websites or by fake marketing emails. Websites that are legitimate and are a part of the industry for quite some time can also be easily targeted due to poor security practices in place, resulting in a huge blow on your pocket.

However, you can always employ security measures to drastically improve your online security by following the steps mentioned below:

1. Use a VPN to be anonymous on the web

A VPN (virtual private network) is a private network that protects you against hacking by encrypting all information traveling to and from your computer via the internet. A VPN masks your IP address and dedicates you another IP of a different location, making it impossible for snoopers, governments, and third-parties to track where your computer is located.

VPN

Furthermore, a VPN grants you the ability to bypass geo-restrictions while being completely anonymous on the web. With the best VPN on your side, you can quickly eliminate the chances of being hacked.

2. Use the cloud backup wisely

Cloud backup is a blessing, but it can be equally disastrous.Over the recent years, we've seen cloud services and accounts being constantly targeted by hackers. Those targeted include accounts of individuals, corporations, and celebrities, resulting in disastrous losses. For maximum security, you should prefer backing up your data to an external hard drive and make sure that you don't connect it to the internet.

Cloud Backup

3. Linking two accounts together should be the last resort

Linking accounts together can save you the hassle of logging in again and again on different websites. However, it also gives cyber criminals a clear path to connect the dots.

Linking accounts together

For instance, you've linked your Facebook account with your company's profile. If the company faces a hack, your information could also be hacked. While linking accounts could make your lives easier, it also makes the hackers life easy.

4. Make sure the website is secure when entering private information

Various fake websites dupe you online by claiming to be authentic. You must make sure that the connection with the website is "https://" instead of the typical "http://." A “https” site is encrypted and secure.

HTTPS

Only share your credit card details with a website that you completely trust.

5. Use 'Two Factor Authentication' on your internet accounts

Due to increased hacking attempts on various websites, the concept of two-factor authentication has become common to supplement measures that enhance your online security.

Two Factor Authentication

Enter your username and password, select the two-factor authentication option and update it with your phone number. Now, you will receive a code on your number every time you want to access your internet account. You will have to submit the code to go any further.

6. Use strong passwords that are tough to reckon

We conveniently use passwords that relate to something usual – making it easier to guess. Surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg used the password 'dadada' on his internet accounts. Pretty secure, right?

Strong Passwords

Use passwords that are alphanumeric and contain capital and lowercase letters, jumbled up numbers, punctuations, etc.

7. Use ad-blockers to stop companies from tracking you online

Ad-blockers have long proved to be a tool that diminishes chances of corporations who are eagerly tracking you online for their marketing tactics. With the use of an ad-blocker, you can get rid of ads that pop-up on the screen, hence, eliminating the chances of mistakenly clicking an ad that could potentially turn out to be malicious software.

Bad Ad Johnny

Also, Facebook uses your information for marketing purposes. You can just opt out of the advertising list by going to the ads section and choosing the option “Pair my social actions with ads for” to “No one.”

8. Clear cookies on your browser on a constant basis

Cookies are pieces of data sent from the website that gets stored on your computer while you browse the web. Cookies help a website remember who you are, hence, forming a clear picture of you to push their marketing efforts.

Delete cookies

Remove cookies by going to settings and then 'clear browser data,' choose clear cookies.

9. Don't download from a suspicious website

While downloading a torrent or a file can be tempting, you must make sure the file you are downloading is from a reputable site. Some files may contain malicious software that acts as a spyware without you knowing about it.

Suspicious Website

10. Be mindful of the information you share on forums online

We all like to give our opinion on topics and engage in online debates. While doing so in a positive manner is a healthy activity, the other side of giving in your valuable information could allure a potential hacker to stalk you and hack you.

Internet Forums

We hope the above information serves as a useful guide for you. Make sure you implement the steps to strengthen your digital footprint along with robust technologies such as a VPN.



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