8 tips you should follow to prevent cyber-attacks

Since the mark of the third millennium, the world has witnessed myriad technological innovations that have made our lives a lot simpler. Similarly, internet penetration has also increased over the years. Today, internet services are extensively used for a wide range of activities including net banking, e-shopping, accessing online data, normal surfing and even socializing on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Most people access all their valuable information—bank details, passwords and other important documents—using the internet.

Although, the combination of technology and Internet have assisted us in more ways than one, both of these combined can be used as an effective instrument by various groups and individuals to hack into private classified databases, create nuisance, and steal valuable information or assets . Sevral reports suggest that global cyber-attack cases have almost doubled in the last five years. 

Security breaches are very common and easy to perform now-a-days—from small pranks played by friends to full-fledged cyber-crimes. But these attacks can be easily avoided by following a few simple steps, which most people ignore. Citing the recent cyber-attack incident on British broadband supplier TalkTalk this week, we present a list of eight ways that can help you avoid both major and minor security breaches. '

#1 Keep passwords secured: Numerous security experts and cyber-security agencies have warned users about the importance of regularly changing passwords and keeping them secure. On the contrary, most people tend to ‘save’ their passwords online and forget about it.

Several surveys have been conducted in the past and each one indicates that people are not at all bothered about changing their passwords. There are people who haven’t changed their passwords for over five years!  Not changing your passwords for long periods will surely get you into trouble and users should make it a habbit to change their passwords at least once a month to keep it secure. 

#2 Check URLS: A natural tendency of most Internet users is to blindly click on websites without even checking the URL properly.  Most people might not be aware, but hackers create fake pages to gain access to an individual’s personal details such as passwords and usernames.

It is highly recommended that you check an URL before you access any website to be on the safer side. Most secured websites will have a green padlock next to the address and it denotes that the website is safe.

#3 Keep lengthy and difficult passwords: A password is synonymous to the key of your house and if you don’t take keep it secured, you’re indirectly making the hacker’s job easier. A report by Gizmodo shows the top 25 passwords that were used by individuals in 2014. Some of the passwords in the list are as simple as 123456 or QWERTY.

Another shocking fact is most individuals use the same password to protect all their accounts just to make things easier for them, however, most fail to realise that they compromise all their valuable information/details when their account gets hacked.

To avoid such situations, users should always keep different passwords for all their accounts. Additionally, it is recommended that you keep complex passwords that have a combination of words, numbers, and special characters.

#4 Format your phone frequently and make use of cloud services: Smartphones and wireless devices form an integral part of our life and people tend to store a lot of valuable data and personal details on their smartphones.

However, several reports have indicated that smartphones are one of the most hacked devices in the modern world. In such a scenario, users should format their phone regularly and try storing more information on the cloud.

#5 Say no to Public Wi-Fi: While most of you might not be aware, it is very simple for a professional hacker to make use of unsecured public Wi-Fi zones to target smartphone users and they can also set up fake networks to draw information. It is highly recommended that you avoid using Wi-Fi in public zones.

However, if you want to use it anyway, be sure to ask an employee for the username and password and use services of reliable Wi-Fi providers. Also, when you have finished browsing, make sure to switch of your Wi-Fi and ask the device to forget the network so it does not automatically connect next time.

#6 Be extra careful while downloading random free applications: Another very easy technique to target users now-a-days are apps. Apps are a very easy method for hackers to download spyware onto devices.

There are many apps listed on Google Play, which are malicious in nature and spread malware into your device. On most occasions, Access Trojans (ATs) tag along with these apps and might harm your phone.  

#7 Avoid clicking on phishing ads and websites: There are many unknown links which direct you to phishing sites. Most torrent and porn websites are filled with viruses and malwares. Users should be extremely careful while downloading anything. One wrong move and you might give away your personal details without even knowing about it.  

In fact, social media sites are also a great medium for hackers to circulate ‘phishing’ links. So next time, be sure to double check a link sent by a friend on Facebook or Whatsapp. Who knows their email account might have been compromised. 

#8 Anti-viruses and firewalls are a must: One of the best and simplest ways to avoid malware attacks and security breaches is to install a light Anti-virus.

Many people criticize that anti-virus make a device very slow and its true, but then an anti-virus will protect your personal information from hackers and malwares. However, it’s your choice if you want to sacrifice on security for a small jump in performance.