October may make you think of Halloween and pumpkin spice lattes, but it’s also been known as Cyber Security Awareness Month since its founding in 2004. It’s the official annual reminder to take a moment and review your practices. of data privacy. While this may not sound like as much fun as trick-or-treating, if you use a computer or cell phone to shop or run a business, October is an important time to devote some of your energy to protecting your online presence.
The passwordless future will still require the use of a third-party authentication program to … [+]
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Gone are the days when it was okay to keep reusing the same password over and over again. According to security.org, more than 24 million households in the United States have been victims of account takeover fraud, 58 percent of which occurred in the last 12 months. And on the business side, according to IBM, the average cost of a business data breach in 2021 was $4.24 million. That’s not a small chunk of change. So whether you’re a consumer or a business owner, cybersecurity pays to know. With all of that in mind, we’re teaming up with Dashlane to share tips and tools that will help protect your digital data this Cyber Security Awareness Month and beyond.
6 Tips to Practice Better Cybersecurity in 2022
Tip #1: Use a strong and protective password manager
What is a password manager, you may be wondering? Password managers are encrypted databases that typically use a complex password to protect all other passwords. They can then help generate complex passwords for each account without you having to memorize them all. According to Dashlane, over 80% of breaches stem from weak or compromised login credentials, making it more important than ever to use a strong and unique password for every account.
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Dashlane offers the ability to store login information, credit cards, and even secure notes that can be accessed by you and only you from virtually anywhere. They provide password protection and management to more than 17 million people and 20 thousand companies. And Dashlane may be the most secure password manager out there. It has never had a security breach in its thirteen-year history, not even during its evolution to web first this year. The program has six patents (with several more pending), all with a “zero-knowledge” focus. For those of us who are not experts, zero knowledge means that no one except you, not even Dashlane, can access your protected information within your platform.
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Tip #2: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere You Can
Even with the increasing utility of password managers, there’s more you can do to keep your accounts and information secure. Multi-factor authentication adds an additional locked security gate to your account. It comes in many different forms, from a code that arrives in an email or text to a secure token linked to your account. However, Security.org states that 13 percent of account hacks were those that used two-factor or multi-factor authentication. Building your security layers will close that gap.
Tip #3: Back up your data
The US Chamber of Commerce suggests that backing up your files is essential protection against any type of data loss, such as damage, failure, or fraud. The most common backup solution is known as the “3-2-1” rule, which means that there are actually three copies of the backed up data: one copy is on your computer; the second is copied to an external data drive; and finally, the data is backed up to an external location, such as a cloud storage or server solution.
Tip #4: Keep your devices up to date
Software and hardware manufacturers regularly release updates that are primarily designed to fix any bugs affecting users. But these updates also include security patches to resolve potential issues and protect your data from hackers. Most applications and even operating systems offer some sort of “auto-update” option, which will download and install updates whenever they become available. Using outdated software can be a recipe for disaster, as potential security breaches are more likely to occur.
What kind of cybersecurity will we need in the future?
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Tip #5 – Be careful what you click
In today’s world, there are more phishing attacks than ever before. One of the most common occurrences is receiving an email that appears to be from a reputable company or professional superior. It’s more important than ever to hover over links in an email and verify the sender’s email address. If something looks suspicious, play it safe and get a trusted person’s opinion or delete it to be safe. Also, some email providers (Gmail and Outlook are two) have phishing and spam tags that automatically report the problem for investigation.
Tip #6: Know the 5 C’s of Cybersecurity
Last but not least, to get the most out of the ins and outs of cybersecurity, it is good practice to learn and implement the “5 C’s”. Consider the following five elements when determining your or your company’s digital protection policy to keep your data as secure as possible.
Change: Change is always happening online, and as the Internet continues to evolve, so does the way accounts can be created, accessed, protected, and breached. Be willing to change your passwords and cybersecurity strategies to be the most secure with the technology of the times.
Compliance: Compliance laws and security guidelines have become an entire industry unto themselves, but that’s for good reason: they were put in place to help protect any end user from being hacked. Do your research before subscribing to an online service to ensure businesses and organizations have a clean digital record.
Coverage: Coverage, or broad protection, for businesses is especially important. Make sure your business cybersecurity plan will protect you through expansions and changes. This includes covering customer data as well as internal corporate data.
Cost: Evaluate the cost along with the features and benefits before purchasing any cybersecurity service. Businesses may want a more expensive and robust service that can protect files and passwords. An ordinary citizen may agree to a free service that stores and encrypts passwords.
Continuity: Maintain ongoing access to your accounts and information. Many of us know how disruptive an account hack can be; you can make sure life is uninterrupted, but continuity of access is possible through a trusted encryption service like Dashlane.
Source: news.google.com