How to better secure your online presence in 2017

These days we all live a lot of our lives online, and anyone who’s read the news should be worried about the amount of information available to folks with the ability to hack into our systems. Well, with the New Year approaching, the National Cyber Security Alliance is suggesting we all really think about how secure, or rather not secure, our information is online, and take steps to improve our cyber security.

While we all may think that our information is safe because of our usernames and passwords, the NCSA warns folks that it’s just not enough, and has come out with some tips on how to ring in the New Year by getting your online life off to a better and safer start.

Tips include:

  • Lock down your login – Don’t rely on your username and password to keep your accounts secure. Of course you should set a very long and intricate passwords, but you should also go for added security by enabling the strongest authentication tools you can, like a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device.
  • Value and protect your personal information just like money – Keep a keen eye on your personal information just like you would your finances. Be careful about giving out your personal information to apps and websites.
  • Own your online presence – Seriously consider how much sharing you’re willing to do in the New Year. Try setting the privacy and security settings on websites and apps to limit how and with whom you share your info.
  • Maintain the cyber security of your devices – Wearables, fitness trackers and video cameras collect personal data, so make sure that you are connecting those devices using a secure router so nobody else can get their hands on that info.
  • Do a digital cleanse – It’s always good to clean out your devices as the New Year starts. Go through your emails and save only what you really need, and unsubscribe to lists you don’t want. Also delete or archive older files, make sure you dispose of any electronics securely, like shredding hard drives, or memory cards, back up data to a secure, password protected cloud site or drive, and permanently delete old files.

Source: Business Journals