When it comes to computer security there is no simple do-it-yourself method. Yes you can read blogs like this to get some quick pointers that can definitely help but unless you’re prepared to read a ton of information on the subject on a yearly basis your choices are limited.
One option is to hire someone or even a staff of people to take care of the problem for you. Since only one of these salaries can be fairly expensive this might not be an ideal solution for you or your company. A better solution is to have people with such experience available on an as needed basis and we proudly recommend one such business! Zarr Tech is a local business that offers a wide variety of services that could cater to your needs and save you a ton of money. Please follow the link or contact them if you would like more information, they’d be glad to help!
When it comes to computer security this blog will barely scratch the surface, anyone in the IT business can tell you that there is vast amounts of information out there regarding the subject but the following information is a great start and a must know…
Strong Password
A simple password that’s only 6 characters long that only uses the alphabet can be cracked in 10 minutes or less, where a 9 character password that uses letters, numbers and special characters can take as long 44,500 years. Having a strong password for anything that requires one should be first on your list. If you can add two factor authentication and a maximum number of failed attempts into this process then you’re security will increase drastically.
Social Engineering
This is an evolving concern when it comes to the internet, hackers make use of the information they can gather on you from many different sources, unsecure social media is the primary source as they can easily obtain information such as birthdays, family/pet names and a ton of other information that can be used towards cracking your passwords more efficiently. Try to avoid using important information like this in your passwords!
Firewalls & VPN’s
Firewalls should be on all your devices and unless you need a hole in the firewall for some reason it should be blocking everything. By leaving a hole in the firewall for access to something like a networked camera for example you’re potentially asking for trouble, just ask the countless people who have had their camera/baby monitor follow them are make sounds like someone breathing come from them.
An extra level of security for dealing with stuff like this is installing a VPN which will create a tunnel that’s encrypted and much harder to hack for you to connect to, don’t forget to use a strong password!
Internet Security Software
We’re all familiar with anti-virus software but today that’s not enough we need an entire suite of software to protect us. Don’t just look at how much you’re saving by only buying an anti-virus or software that’s not reputable. It could cost you much more in the long run for the few dollars you save! Don’t forget to scan your system on a regular basis…
Phishing Scams
If you see strange emails coming from friends, ones that claim you’ve won a ton of money or even ones that look like they could be from trusted sources like a banking institution, the first thing you need to do is question it. Email addresses can be spoofed and even links to pages that look legit like your banks could be designed just waiting for you to input some much needed information like your username and password. Any phone call, email that sounds too good to be true should be considered just that and you should do as much as possible to verify the source. Anyone asking contacting you and asking for personal information is a suspect in my books.
Encryption
Any information that is sensitive for security reasons should be kept off the internet and even off the computers that are connected to the internet. If it’s unavoidable make sure that you either store it or send in an encrypted manor. Since the internet was designed to maintain communication there are no guarantees that a hacker can’t exploit some type of security weakness to get at such information so you need to take as many extra steps as possible to protect and encryption is one of those steps that could make a difference.
Monitoring Resources
If you’re technically capable there are a number of tools at your disposal for monitoring your network or systems. Included in all modern versions of Windows is the event viewer which can be used to check for bad password entries which could be local attempts or even ones from the internet. You can also use methods to monitor your network traffic, if you notice your network communicating even though you’re not doing anything it doesn’t necessarily mean you were hacked. Devices could be checking for updates etc. but if you notice your internet has become slower or its usage has gone up drastically then this is a sign that something could be wrong and further investigation is needed.
Updates
This is critical in maintaining security, exploits are discovered and patched on a regular basis these days. Anyone in IT will highly recommend that you keep all your devices up to date to prevent such exploits but at the same time some of these updates could make your device useless like an iPhone that can’t handle the latest IOS for example. I’ve had this happen to me twice so I thought I’d mention it. Also you’ll want to make sure your software is still receiving updates for those that are still using something like Windows XP chances are you’ve already been compromised, not only is it possible for that device to have been compromised but your entire network since the device is part of it.
Disconnect
One of the best practices you can do when not using the internet is to disconnect from it and if you’re not using your computer turn it off.
Browsers
Some browsers are just better than others especially when it comes to security, since this is constantly changing and everyone has their own preference it’s hard to say which one is better at any given time but one of my personal favourites is Google Chrome.
Employees
If you are a business owner then you need to consider that most breaches in the network occur with you and your staff. The same could be said for anyone visiting and using your internet connection, by simply visiting an un-trusted website or by inserting a CD/USB to copy a file over might have left you exposed. A perfect example of this is the Sony hack. This is where strong internal security along with educating your users can save you from a nightmare waiting to happen, limiting sites that are trusted by the company can not only prevent you from becoming infected but could also improve efficiency by keeping employees working instead of being distracted by something like social media for example which is just crawling with malicious links.
Trusted Connections
When dealing with WiFi and hot spots the best piece of advice I can give is to avoid them at all costs. These networks allow you free internet access but anyone connected to the same network or even the hotspot itself could have a hacker lurking on them just waiting for you and your information to join.
Backups
If you’ve never experienced it before data loss can be quite a blow, this can result from a hack or even from hardware failure. Having your data backed up doesn’t protect you in a sense but it does ensure the amount of data lost is minimal if you backup regularly and also means you should be able to restore that information.