Cybersecurity: 4 Ways to Defend Your Data

In the last few years cybersecurity has become a hot-button issue for people everywhere. In a way, it is the new craze that is causing people to turn to extreme and often silly theories about the nature of the internet. Some of these concerns, however, are rooted in truth. For instance, the attacks on Equifax really did expose over 100 million people and their lack of response and preparation has hurt millions of Americans.

However, there are many methods that you can employ to keep your information secure and your data out of the wrong hands. The future is a beautiful thing. As the internet expands and access to wifi-enabled devices surges then we can expect the amount of hacking and malware attempts to increase dramatically over the next few years. This does not spell disaster for anyone and those with strong privacy policies will find that they can keep themselves covered and not be exposed.

Now, in the case of Equifax and Target, those are harder to protect yourself from but you can still mitigate the damage by being incredibly discerning and keeping a watchful eye on all of your information. In this article, we will show you the best methods to deter hackers and keep your information safe.

1. Browse Privately

One of the easiest ways to keep your data secure is to use private browsing options for all of your browsers. Almost all browsers have a private browsing mode that does not keep cookies and will not track you across the internet. That is incredibly important when keeping your information safe because that data is very useful to hackers.

They can use your cookies to find out where you have been and what the password you used were as most cookies contain login credentials. The prevention of tracking makes it so that they also have a harder time advertising to you and placing a bug on sites you visit often. This can be completely invaluable and is a simple step toward a safer online experience for users.

2. Don’t Shop in Public

This may sound strange but in reality using a public Wi-Fi to do any online shopping can expose your credit card details to anybody with a keylogger or other type of siphoning software.

A lot of hackers use public Wi-Fi and scan for anyone that may be using certain websites on the public Wi-Fi. They can then easily extract your information when you are connected outside and not using a private connection. It is incredibly important that you do minimal online work when connected publicly.

3. Only Share With Who You Know

This tip comes down to how you share your information and with who. Do not respond to messages requesting information from people you do not know. Sometimes, when you are connected in a public space, you should refrain from replying to even people you do know because they may be spoofed and trying to collect sensitive data.

In short, if you do not recognize who sent the message then do not send anything back and never click a link unless you know who it is or where it's coming from. Links in emails and on ads can be incredibly damaging or be an outright virus.

4. Use Pop-up Blockers

Using a pop-up blocker is one of the best things you can do to inhibit any hackers attempt at accessing you through the internet. While some businesses make a fuss about using ad blockers the truth is a lot of hackers use the bait-and-switch technique on advertisements to lure people in and scam them or imprint malware.

That is why it is completely imperative that you use a pop-up blocker or adblocker when browsing the internet. You even have to use these while browsing privately as private browsing does not stop ads. While some companies do need the revenue there are better ways to gain that marketing money without having placed ads on your site. When you see an ad you like, research it yourself and make sure not to click on the actual banner or placed ad.

Ultimately, it is about being discerning and using all of the tools at your disposal to make sure that your data is safe and that you can browse without losing your privacy. Take full advantage of ad blockers and private browsing modes so that you are not left exposed everytime you go online. Be incredibly aware of your surroundings and do not access public Wi-Fi unless you have no other choice. Remember, as the internet expands so do the opportunities for hackers and bad actors. Being diligent is the only way to save your data and keep your privacy private.