Over the years, we have found that most people don’t think about their own security, largely because it seems overwhelming. The misconception seems to be that being more secure is either very expense or requires some form of advanced tactical training. Here are 5 of the things we would like everyone to do as a way to be a little more secure with their devices or own personal safety.
Always be creative with your passwords – Being creative with passwords doesn’t mean it needs to look like this: x5J!&37ms%9265Biscuit65# (although it would be sweet if it did)
Try to…
- Have at least on unique character ! @ # $ % & *
- Have at least one Capital letter
- Have at least one Number
Try not to …
- Use family names, favorite teams or roads you have lived on..
- Use words you can find in a dictionary.
- Use simple repetition 1234, ABCD, etc.
Always lock your devices – Set up a PIN protected screen lock or other form of unlocking sequence. Yeah, yeah, we can it it now..ugh, but that’s just too time consuming – I can’t be bothered with such an inconvenience! It only takes 14 days to create a new habit and after a couple weeks it will start to become second nature.
Always update your Anti-virus – Do that thing! You should be able to set it up where it automatically updates on a daily basis.
Always power down your devices – When you are at home, there will likely be 8 to 16 hours where the device wont be used and we know for a fact that your work computer goes through 14 to 16 hours of downtime. Power them down when not in use. Hackers don’t work 9 to 5 like most of us and that is by tactical design on their part….
Always know your source – Basically, just don’t panic when you get that e-mail from your “bank” or unsolicited phone call that your Aunt is stuck in Ecuador and needs $10,000. Know who your source is and don’t give out personal information. If your concerned about an e-mail from your financial institution or insurance company..hang up and call their customer service line or go see your local branch manager or insurance agent. Dealing with a little anxiety about if it actually a problem is still easier than dealing with a breach or potential identity theft.