Category Archives: Security

How to Effectively Secure Customer Data from Various Online Dangers

Posted on by Allen Brown
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Now and then, cases of cybercrime have made their way into the news headlines. Notable companies have fallen victim to these acts losing valuable pieces of data to the ruthless cyber terrorists. Therefore, every business’s duty, whether small or large, ensures that the consumers’ info is safeguarded. Not long ago, a report by the National Security Alliance (NCSA) showed that more Americans are concerned about losing their data privacy than their primary source of income. As a business entity, it’s, therefore, your mandate to ensure their safety. Here, we will continue to highlight the various proven ways to successfully secure your customer’s data from online fraud. 

Stay Posted on Encryption Practices

The first step is ensuring that your customer’s data is encrypted. When it comes to encryption, you must know that it’s a technology that keeps evolving. New trends emerge intending to increase the security of customer’s data. Whenever you fail to update the encryptions regularly, you are vulnerable to attacks. It’s advisable to set a regular schedule to see if your current encryption technology is up-to-date. 

When it comes to encryption, a bit is confusing when dealing with PostgreSQL based on the features. Postgres rely on OpenSSL to provide transport security. According to the article How to Secure PostgreSQL: Security Hardening Best Practices & Tips, to encrypt connections in Postgres, you will need a server key and certificate. This is protected with a passphrase that can safely be entered at server startup either manually or using a script that can be utilized to retrieve and passphrase on behalf of the server.  

Limit the Access to Customer Info

How many people in the company have access to your customer’s data? This is one question that you should ask yourself more often because the higher the number, the higher opportunities for hackers to strike. Not everyone in the company needs to see the customer’s data. You can, therefore, limit access to the accessibility to only a few notable departments. Doing so makes it easy to address the attack as you are sure of the channel to follow. 

Collect Only What You Need

When it comes to collecting customer data, you don’t need to know everything about them. After all, you may only need the data for a one-time transaction. This means that you don’t have to waste your energy gathering unnecessary data. Whenever you collect every info about the customer, you establish a massive loophole for cyber hackers to target. Also, asking for unnecessary pieces of info makes some customers nervous about why you need all these pieces of info in the first place. Additionally, you can offer your customers the option of whether they wish to share personal info with you or not. 

Wipe Out the Customer’s Data After the Transaction

The collection of customer data is essential for the smooth running of the business. It helps with smooth operations. The big question you ought to ask yourself is, what should be done when business is done? Should you keep the data? The answer is no. You should consider wiping out every bit of customer’s data after your business with them. By so doing, you help to eliminate them in case of a cyber-attack. One good thing to note about destroying customer’s data is that it helps boost your customers’ confidence in your privacy measures and transparency. 

Install and Update Your Security Software

One surefire way to protect your system against cyber-attacks is investing in antivirus software. It’s risky to access the internet without one in place. This software helps safeguard your system from many attacks that you may not even know. There are many antivirus options you can rely on for your online security.

The software comes at a price, of course. At times, small businesses, incredibly, get intimidated by the price tag, which shouldn’t be the case. The kind of protection they provide is more than the initial cost. When dealing with antivirus software, it’s not all about installing and letting it do the magic. You have got to ensure that the software is regularly updated. The antivirus keeps updating tactics based on cyber-attack trends. Therefore, whenever you fail to keep it updated, you create a space for hackers to hit you. The scheduled updates and regular rebooting may sound annoying, but they are worth every step. 

Stick to Strong Passwords

How strong is your password? When attacking, most hackers try to access your system through trial and error. If you are the kind of person who uses company names and the year on the passwords, you might make it easy for these ruthless people to gain access. Therefore, the surest way to make it hard for them to strike you is making your passwords hard for them to guess. 

The creation of strong passwords may sound obvious, but it’s important as it’s the key to the kingdom. You can use a password generator, in this case, to ensure that they are top secure. Another way to create a strong password is to ensure that you include other characters in it rather than letters and numbers alone. In some cases, these hard passwords are hard to remember, and this is what sees most people write and stick them on their computers. That will be a waste of all your efforts. Why create a strong password and then leave it there in the open. If it’s a must, you jot it down, ensure that you secure it at all times. 

Avoid Outside Access to Private Servers/Networks

When it comes to ensuring your customer’s data’s safety, you want to ensure that there are as many obstacles as possible between the info and hackers. One of the best ways to block these obstacles is by moving the info to a secured, private network or server. By having a private network, you have control over who can access the data, reducing outside interference chances. Besides, your tech team can keep track of the activities, hence detecting a problem before it becomes a big problem. 

Test for Vulnerabilities Regularly

Last in the list is testing for vulnerability within your system. After you are done with all the security measures, it’s essential to call in an ethical hacker to ensure that everything is on point. Ethical hackers help establish the system’s weak points and notify them. By involving them, you help ensure that your system is secure and hence your customer’s data. 

Your customer’s data is essential when it comes to smooth operations. However, it’s often targeted by cyber terrorists. As the business owner, you have to ensure that every bit of info is secure. Listed in this article are some of the proven ways to improve your customers’ data security. Read through the piece to find out which of the strategies you are yet to implement.

Is It Possible to Virtually Protect Your Data from All Threats?

Posted on by Allen Brown
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The internet is an amazing place where you learn new things, research different topics, manage a business, or even communicate with people. However, it does come with a level of risk because some people enjoy compromising your sensitive data and hacking your platforms. Luckily, you have several ways to protect yourself, your data, and your websites online. You just need to figure out which one you need to keep everything you manage online safely secured. Read on to learn about the ways you could safeguard your data from threats and if it’s possible to protect yourself from everything. 

Encrypting your data 

One of the ways that you can shield your data from threats is by encrypting it. You need to invest in strong encryption processes and you need to understand how it works. Think of it as a protective sheet that conceals all your information in several secure vaults. The files get encoded and it’s only accessible by specific online users that have permission to see the information. One of the strongest levels of encrypting your data is the AES 256-bit encryption. You could invest in the AES 128-bit, but it doesn’t have the same strength and concealing algorithms. You can rest assured that your online platform’s data is scrambled, encrypted into different pieces, and hidden from any outsider who tries to steal information. 

Proper Authorization

You need to have a proper authorization plan for your online platforms to keep your users safe. Websites need authorization protocols for transactions, financial activities, editing, sending, and a lot more. Thanks to the developments of technology, a great option would be a virtual Dataroom to allocate all the information, manage it accordingly, give specific people proper permissions, and to go through several transactions and record entries safely. This virtual system will have every user verify their identity before seeing any type of information or finalizing any type of transaction. This is extremely helpful because any outsider won’t be able to get the proper authorization and permission. Also, you will see the names of every user and you can rest assured that no outsider/hacker can see, manipulate, or steal anything.

Creating Strong Passwords

You should implement a system that demands every user and new visitor to create strong passwords. This can increase their level of protection and decrease their chances of getting hacked. One of the easiest ways to have stronger passwords that can’t be cracked too easily is by having a long password with a mix of symbols, numbers, capitalized letters, and even special characters. This can make your passwords extremely unlikely to crack. Also, have automatic reminders for users to change their current passwords regularly for safety reasons. You never know what could happen and you should be prepared by preemptively creating a new password minimizes any chances of an online threat.

Maintain a Good Reputation   

Most threats or attacks can be because you didn’t maintain a good reputation online. Depending on the case, you or one of your users might have done something terrible or said something offensive. Anything you do or say online can be stuck forever, fixing it will be costly and time-consuming. Some hackers compromise your accounts as a way to take revenge or to mess up your life intentionally because of what you’ve said or done. This is the same with your users if they managed to provoke the wrong people. It would be wise to invest in a tool that protects your online reputation. This is good for social media outlets that may have questionable content or history that might damage you in the future. This is another way to preemptively take the first step in protecting yourself before a cyberattack even happens.  

Constant Back-Up Procedures

You will need specific procedures and steps that can give you a constant back-up of your personal information and sensitive records. This is for you and your online users or clients. Some attacks could come in the form of taking control of an entire platform and then deleting all the content. This shouldn’t be a major problem if you backed everything up. You would keep all the delicate files, numbers, transactions, history, phone numbers, names, and their professions. All of this information can be stored in a remote and secure server that only you have access to. You should make the right decision on hiring the best web host. They would have the means to safely back-up your files. You won’t have to worry if you ever get targeted for a ransomware attack that holds your information, blocks you from seeing it, or prevents you from controlling your platform. If it’s saved somewhere else, then you won’t suffer a serious loss.

Antimalware and Antivirus Programs

Everyone will need proper antimalware and antivirus programs for constant protection. These programs are designed to pay attention to any sudden changes to the system’s framework, a penetration attempt from an outsider, or upgrading your system with stronger protecting protocols. You will get notifications and alerts if anything bad or unusual is happening, giving you the head start you need to fix the issue quickly. Also, these protective programs are always updating because the digital world isn’t flawless. You will always have a platform that has loopholes, weak spots, and openings that hackers find out about. These programs help you defend yourself and your platform online from any phishing attempts, Trojans, spyware, worms, or any other type of malicious software that can harm you and your platforms online.

Most people believe that the digital world is safe and they forget about the possible negative outcomes of having online platforms. Anyone can be a target for a cyberattack. It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner, an up and coming entrepreneur, a housewife, or even a kid that just plays online video games. Everyone can be vulnerable to a cyberattack, but several developers have come up with ways to strengthen those possible vulnerabilities and conceal your data from unwanted eyes. Nothing is impossible yet because hackers are always finding ways to penetrate servers and platforms, but developers are always coming up with updated ways to prevent any possible hacking attempts. 

Why Windows XP was better than Windows 10

Posted on by Wayland Bruns
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Windows XP was released in 2001 as the successor to Windows NT. It was the geeky server version that contrasted with the consumer oriented Windows 95, which transitioned to Windows Vista by 2003.

Where Windows 95 was pioneering window transitions and soft look and feel, Windows XP was intended to be a more nuts-and-bolts interface. Less attention was spent on UI features and more attention on security and processing.

In retrospect, the key feature of Windows XP is the simplicity. While it encapsulated the beginnings of User Access Control, advanced Network drivers and Plug-and-Play configuration, it never made a show of these features. The relatively simple UI was easy to learn and internally consistent.

On the Windows 95 side, Microsoft spent years trying to make PCs user friendly, (Remember Microsoft Bob?) they have always failed in this endeavor. Instead of being simpler, they simply make UI controls that are harder to master; filmy and foamy layers on top of the simple core that is running the OS.

No wonder so many people hold on to their old XP computers long after the OS is insecure.

Windows 10 is a dog! There is no arguing that it is the worst OS experience ever created. Not only are there filmy and foamy layers, Microsoft is constantly updating it to force features that you do not even want. At least once a week we get a customer who reports their computer was completely bricked by a Windows 10 update. Windows 10 is a garbage heap mudslide. It is a costly time-wasting endeavor by Microsoft to try to establish that you somehow NEED to get updates every month for something other than the bug fixes required for the garbage they forced on you the prior month.

Turn off One-Drive, for instance, and you’ll find that two updates later, it is turned on again. Turn off Cortana, which no one uses, and two updates later it is not only back on, but it is sucking up 30% of your CPU making your computer run slowly.

With Windows XP, you could see in the system monitor that about 8 processes were running and they used less than 1% of CPU and disk bandwidth. For windows 10, there are more than 200 processes and they commonly use 30-50% of your CPU and disk IO. Whenever I start drilling down on these processes I can see they are features I never want; Cortana, One Note, Xbox Game Bar, Your Phone, Groove Music.

What Microsoft should do is run what their success. Offer a stripped-down simple OS. When people say I want Linux” they don’t actually mean the buggy hopelessly arcane OS created by Linus Torvalds. What they are saying is a simple basic UI and driver set that is fast, easy and stable.

Modern Mobile Security Now Mirrors Its Desktop Counterparts

Posted on by Evelina Popova
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Mobiles have transcended their status as palm-sized communication devices. Now known as smartphones, modern devices have, in many ways, become super-computers that never leave our sides. With so much invested in our mobiles, security is paramount. Having a phone without protection is like walking onto a construction site without a hardhat. Yes, you might be ok. However, would you really feel safe?

Just like a construction site, there are many dangers within the mobile space. Even though you might not be a direct target at any given time, you could be a target and that’s what you need to protect yourself against. Ask yourself this: would you leave your mobile sitting on a table in a coffee shop without a passcode? Most of us would say no. Leaving aside the fact someone might steal your phone, the reality is that you have too much sensitive data on there to not have a password.

Indeed, you can take this a step further and apply the same logic to apps. From Facebook and Gmail to your banking apps, passwords and passcodes are a necessity in the mobile realm. However, these are minimum requirements in today’s world. If you really want to stay safe, embracing the latest innovations is important.

Securing Apps is Essential

Moving beyond the basics, TouchID is a great way to protect your device and, more recently, your apps. For example, when you visit the Paddy Power online website, you’ll find a link to the Apple Store. Here, you can download the operator’s mobile app and get full access to games like Buffalo Blitz, Premium Blackjack and Live Spin A Win. What you also get is the ability to make deposits and withdrawals. Just as you can credit money to your account via the website, you can do the same on the app. With this feature in place, real money mobile gaming is possible.

Therefore, just as you’d want to secure banking apps and eWallets like PayPal, you’ll want to protect your gaming app. To this end, Paddy Power has added TouchID to its app. By using this instead of a password, you not only get quicker access to what’s inside but the added security of fingerprints rather than text.

Cybercriminals Have a New Target

It used to be the case that cybercriminals couldn’t or wouldn’t target mobile devices. However, with more people using smartphones than before, they’re now rich pickings. According to Kaspersky, there were 3.5 million malicious installation packages downloaded to mobiles in 2019. Add to this 69,777 new mobile banking trojans and 68,362 ransomware threats and it’s clear to see that mobile antivirus software is now a must. However, even though many of the major security brands like Kaspersky and Avast offer free mobile antivirus software, few of us use it. Despite being standard practice on desktop devices, we’re not yet conditioned to download these products onto our mobiles.

Yes, the number of mobile threats is still low compared to the desktop realm. Moreover, mobiles tend to have a greater degree of internal protection thanks to Apple et al. However, mobile antivirus software is becoming more important. Indeed, it all plays into the narrative that mobiles are the new computers. That’s why we have passwords, passcodes, and fingerprint protection. We live so much of our lives through phones that we have to secure them like we do computers. This means antivirus software will soon become standard. Moreover, it will lead to more innovations and ideas in the coming years as we look to make our mobiles more secure than ever.

Four Ways to Improve Security on Your Android

Posted on by Austin Dease
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There’s no escape from the fact that cyber crime has encapsulated the entire world. With a professional software and multiple conning techniques, criminals can easily hack your phone at any time.To enhance your Android’s security, regularly update your router’s settings to block unauthorized access. This can be easily done by configuring your router through the admin panel, accessible via 192.168.l78.1. Regular adjustments ensure that your device connects only to secure networks.

If you have a lot of personal data stored in apps, you must go the extra mile to enhance the security of your phone. In this article, we will guide you through four ways through which you can improve your phone’s safety.

1. Set a Strong Password

You will be shocked to know that close friends and relatives are often the first people who hound your phone all the time. This means if you set a password that is inclusive of your first name or date of birth, your phone might get hacked by a close person in your absence. This is the main reason why you need a very strong and discreet password for your phone. Strong passwords that have multiple letters and signs are very difficult to open. Never share your password with a friend or anyone you trust the most. You never know about the change in somebody’s intention.

2. Install a Phone Tracking App

In case you lose your phone, you need to have something that can help you in tracking it as soon as possible. There are multiple apps that allow one to track the location of his/her phone in real-time. All you need to do is install a phone tracking app such as mspy in your phone and connect it with the same app in your laptop. This way, when somebody might steal your phone, you will be able to track the location and catch the criminal. Many people are confused whether mspy free trial version myth or reality? However it is a concrete app that has served thousands of people in the last decade.

3. Encrypt Your Phone

Phone encryption is imperative in today’s time when hackers can easily gain access to your data despite a strong password on it. Encryption is a process that converts the phone data into a format that doesn’t allow any unauthorized individual to access sensitive data without a phone key. This is very important if an unauthorized person gains access to your phone and tries to chuck out important information from inside. Luckily, some androids have a built-in encryption feature, however, many of them don’t have it. Therefore it is crucial to encrypt your phone as soon as you read this blog.

4. Revisit Your App’s Security Section

Have you ever noticed why the photo editing app requested you to allow access to the contacts list? Do you find it weird when a gaming application requests access to the pictures and other media? You’re asking yourself the right questions. Keep in mind; you are always in charge of navigating movements of such applications in your phone. Whenever you install an app, never allow it complete access on your phone. If you have the latest version of Android, go to settings, visit Apps section and then select any app you want. Click on the permission button and undo all permissions you are skeptical about.

So these were a few tips you need to consider if you want to enhance the security of your mobile phones. In today’s day and age, people conduct business transactions on their phones that is why it is important to take necessary measures to magnify the security wall.

How to Improve Writing Skills for Your Small Business Productivity

Posted on by Sergey
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Many people conduct their businesses online. It’s a fast and popular method, which brings many dividends. One of the most important parts of successful business promotion is the content. Every website should be stuffed with proper documents and informative blogs, articles, and other papers. Besides, a website owner is supposed to write emails, reports, reviews and so on. They are necessary when a businessman works with partners, clients, and suppliers. Therefore, properly developed writing skills are of great importance.

Not all people are gifted in writing. The others may have problems with business writing, which is formal, strict, and professional. Such people have to look for some possible solutions. Of course, they have to practice every day and read appropriate literature to become experts. Some of them use online help.

There is an essay writing service which can help to boost the writing productivity of any business platform. The experts write thematic business papers that fully suit the purposes of clients. They are of exceptional quality and unique. All the orders are written on time, private data is secured, and we set fair prices. Feel free to visit a professional essay writing company to find out more details. You will be satisfied with the capabilities, which will bring your business website to the new quality level.

We can also recommend several tips. They are good enough to boost your writing productivity with your own effort. Be attentive and try to use them properly.

Organize Your Thoughts

It’s essential to be always organized and understand what you’re supposed to do. Before you even begin to write, you should identify some important issues. These are as follows:

  • The main message;
  • Effective ways to deliver it;
  • Understanding your audience;
  • When and where to apply;
  • What are possible problems;
  • How to overcome problems, etc.

Keep these points in your mind and organize your thoughts. Thus, you’ll know how to start and what to write about.

Be Concise and Logical

Business papers differ from other pieces. They are not some sort of storytelling. They always get right to the main question of the paper. Therefore, follow this simple but important rule. Don’t write too long sentences, as well as long paragraphs. If you have done so, see how you can divide them into smaller pieces. Short sentences and paragraphs make any text more readable and pleasant to the eye.

Never go astray. Once you have reported the main purpose of your paper, stick to it. Don’t write pointless sentences that don’t affect the topic of your paper. You may find a possible solution at DoMyWriting. All the explanations and examples must fully suit your topic.

Avoid Unknown Words

Some folks adore playing with words. This habit negatively reflects on their writing. They begin to use too many unknown and overly “wise” words. It is understood that if you write about business, you ought to use certain terms and definitions, which belong to it. Most people may not understand them and so, a good writer explains them. If they are inevitable, provide clear examples and explanations.

However, don’t write too many unfamiliar words. Otherwise, your text will be a real mess of explanations. Cut out jargon, professional terms, slang, and similar words. Use them only when they MUST be used. Other terms can be substituted with common and well-known words.

Use Active Voice

It’s also vital to cut out passive voice to a few sentences per text. Active voice is much better for most papers and business is no exception. Why is it better than passive constructions? Firstly, the active voice makes our speech more dynamic and faster. Secondly, the passive voice takes more words to finish our thoughts.

Compare two plain examples:

  • Passive: The book was read by me.
  • Active: I read the book.

It is easy to see that an active construction took fewer words to finish the sentence. Consequently, it affects the way your text looks like. Your sentences will be shorter, which won’t make them unreadable. Besides, it will be comfortable and quick to read them. Of course, your readers will likewise understand your message better as well. Lengthy texts may take away their concentration and attention.

Be Attentive and Professional

Always give heed to the names, gender, positions, titles and similar essentials. Your documents should be formal and professional. When you turn to other people, make sure you know their full names, ranks, and some responsibilities. If you are precise, people will notice it and will be grateful for your attention.

If you want to engage a person in your writing, use the pronoun “you”. The practice shows that people become more interested in what they read if the author turns to them like “As you can see…”, “You may notice…”, “You are welcome to…”, etc.

State a Clear Call-to-Action

Every business document has a “call-to-action”. It clarifies the main intention of the author. He or she may want to:

  • Advertise;
  • Sell;
  • Buy;
  • Invite;
  • Encourage;
  • Engage, etc.

Regardless of your purpose, this sentence or two should be straight to the point and clear. Use proper language that fits the content of your paper and deliver a plain message of what you expect the readers should do.

Memorize these tips. They are universal and can suit any business direction you choose. Use them wisely and you’ll gradually become a great business report writer. Besides, seek other methods and writing activities to improve the productivity of your business in other aspects.

How to Secure Your Voice and Video Data

Posted on by Jessica Davison
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Communication is an integral part of the business process. You have to keep in contact with all colleagues, employees, employers, and clients to ensure everything is running smoothly. Digitization of the real-world tasks has made things easier, faster, and more efficient. There is, however, one drawback that came with it. It has made us more vulnerable to security threats. Digital platforms aren’t very secure unless you take additional precautionary measures. Here I have shared how you can keep your voice and video data secure from unauthorized access.

Get a Secure VoIP System

VoIP is an efficient communication system that uses hardware and software with a medium of internet. You can make audio calls and send files to other people connected to the same network. Many businesses are using a VoIP system for communication within their organization. It is considered secure as only a selected number of people can access it. Acquire services of the best VoIP company to ensure no outside threat can breach your security. A good VoIP company has features of advanced cloud-based technology, HD voice quality, customizable service options, and extra layers of protection.

Use an IPS

Installing a powerful firewall and an additional Intrusion Prevention System will make it difficult for unauthorized users to access your system. The IPS will monitor the entire network and filter all unauthorized, unusual, and insecure activities. A lot is done while filtering these three things. It leaves almost no possible way for an exploiter to enter your system. A new user trying to access information isn’t something an IPS can’t notice. As soon as it will detect anything like this, it will block it and notify the administrator.

Encrypt Your Transmission

Encryption is the most reliable method to secure a communication line. A hacker might be able to break into your system, but he won’t be able to get any information if your data is encrypted. Encryption is a process that converts data into an unreadable format. This data is decrypted only when it reaches its destination that has the key to turn it into its original form. Usually a powerful cipher encrypts the data, and a decipher to decrypt it – both use the same key generated by the system.

Create User Profiles

Make your communication network limited to only relevant actors. Create user profiles of all employees that work in your organization and allow only them to make a call or share files. This will ensure the overall security of your system. The exploiter will be left with only choice to hack an employee’s account, and that’s also not as easy it may sound.

Restrict Calls

Have your IT manager configure dial plans of the system you use and restrict communication to ensure even an insider can’t do any harm. This step will allow only a defined type of communication in only a specified manner. You can allow only eligible devices or users to make calls. It will also give you the option to authorize access only at specific periods of time. You know the timings of your employees and when they need to send a file or make calls. If you restrict the schedules, no one will be able to exploit your system even he has access to a user account.

Do You Need Identity Theft Protection

Posted on by Steve Jones
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The 21st century has never been known as the age of safety. From the silent hackers on the net and the countless commercials for various security agencies, we are constantly reminded to defend ourselves against a possible threat.

Millions of identity theft cases are reported each year. You are a victim of those cases if someone uses your data, such as credit card information, to commit criminal deeds. Identity theft organizations pledge to protect you from these and other similar situations. But before you leave all your personal information in the care of security agencies, take a minute to think if you need their services. 

The Services 

Before you run off to an identity theft protection company, ask yourself if you know what it is they do exactly. In most cases, these agencies offer three primary services. These are monitoring, alerting, and recovery. 

Monitoring 

Identity theft companies monitor all your credit, and other accounts you left in their care. In case something unusual occurs, they will alert you right away. 

Alerting

If someone tries to use your info for their gain, security agencies will know. Therefore, so will you. In most identity theft cases, people are not aware that a breach happened until it’s a little too late. 

Recovery 

Just like with other crime victims, like those affected by identity theft, for example, will be offered help if a security breach occurs. Identity theft protection services offer you insurance policies for stolen money. Some agencies can recover up to 1 million dollars from unauthorized transactions. 

DIY 

If you take a moment to think about it, you might notice that the essential services of identity security companies can be done without their assistance. You don’t need help to keep track of your credit score and other bank details. 

As soon as you realize that someone stole your information for personal use, you can, and should, contact a federal agency. And after you have alerted the authorities, you can freeze all your accounts by contacting the bank.

The Need for Identity Insurance 

While the steps to protect yourself from identity fraud seem simple and easy to manage, this type of crime occurs more often than we want to admit. Your online presence leaves a mark, and all trails lead back to you. Identity security agencies observe and make sure that no one traces the clues back to your info. 

If you were a victim of this type of crime, then you should seek the help of professionals. And security agencies are not for individual faces only. Some packages cover the whole family.

Keeping track of your credit records can be an exhausting task, but following the spending of the entire family can be overwhelming. If you feel more secure to leave your data in the care of professional hands, then you have no reason to seek the help of an agency.

Should You Get Identity Insurance? 

These security agencies offer legal services for legitimate threats. Although you can perform their essential functions on your own, this should not hinder you from seeking help if you feel the need. They can monitor multiple credit records for you. If you have fallen victim to this crime, you will be notified, and the agency will help you to recover the money.

Top 5 Things To Tell Your Tween About Cyber Safety

Posted on by Kathy Brellan
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In the world, where one can have access to the Internet everywhere, and the Internet of Things is being developed, we can only predict the further expansion of the World Wide Web in our lives. But the Internet is not only about opportunities; it’s often about dangers and risks, especially for the inexperienced users – the kids.

Here is some information to consider to help your tween to browse safely.

1. Everything you put there is forever

The Internet is an open place, where anyone can leave a footprint. It means that what you post online can stay on the Internet forever. Without realizing the consequences, children can share embarrassing photos and data of themselves and their friends. You can also read about: How To Keep Your Child Safe Online for more information.

What can you do? Not to let strangers view sensitive data (address, phone number, etc.) of your child, you need to ensure the strictest level of security. It is advised to make profiles private and limit access to personal details for friends only.

2. Anyone can reach you 

If a child puts their mobile number online, anyone can call them or send a message. We often receive calls from unknown numbers and children are especially vulnerable to strangers and bullies who don’t mind to impose and call.

What can you do? Ask the child to delete personal data like a phone number from their online pages. If your kid keeps receiving unwanted calls, you can find out who’s calling by using GetContact app. You can also block the caller forever with parental control app.

3. Your password can be hacked

The Internet is a tricky thing. One day you can communicate with friends and chat in groups, while the other day you find that your account is hacked. Hacking is a frequent yet unpleasant phenomenon. When you find your password cracked, you can only imagine what data can hackers now steal.

What can you do? Changing passwords once in six months may help your child protect their social accounts from a hack. Help your kid to create a complicated password. Also, set up two-step verification to make sure no one can access the account except your child.

4. Your photos and files can be gone forever

As much as everything stays on the Internet, it can be lost forever. All the images, videos and other data you exchange with friends can be deleted, and you won’t even be able to restore it.

What can you do? Back up your data. It is best to invest in a portable hard drive and keep your files stored there safely. So, no one can obtain access to it, and your kid’s valuable data won’t be lost.

5. Strangers can steal your pictures 

Once you create your account on social media, you can start chatting literally with anyone. As anyone can text you in apps like Snapchat and Twitter, you can make many new friends. But not all of them are trustworthy. Sometimes scammers and predators pretend to be your kid’s peers to fool them into sharing personal images.

What can you do?

Tell your child not to share any photos and other information with questionable online friends. Any data sent to wrong people may be used against your child. Someone can share their embarrassing images, for example. Make sure your kid understands the responsibility and don’t trust strangers who text them online. 

How to Keep Your Phone Safe from Scammers

Posted on by Austin Dease
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Over 60% of people use mobile phones instead of laptop or desktop computers to connect to the internet. They are always accessible and more in use. Scammer target mobile phones because they can get more personalized information of the user. There are over a dozen types of scams, and every year we encounter new methods invented by exploiters. This article is about protecting you and your family by keeping your mobile phone secured.

Install only Safe Apps

Mobile applications are not very difficult to build and launch on app stores. Scammers build one app and create its several copies to upload on the store with different names. They usually disguise their virus with a name that people might find useful. An app can access almost every part of your device once installed. Validate whether the application you are about to install is legit or not. See the user reviews it has got. If there are no reviews, don’t trust it. Usually, legit app developers have a website to showcase their work. Consider it a fake app if you believe that developers haven’t provided proper details about it.

Never Open a Link from Stranger

You may receive a link on one of your social media profiles or through SMS from an unknown person. Never open such link; it’s most probably a ‘Phishing Scam’. You are redirected to a web page that either has a virus on it or a form asking for your information. Every mobile user understands the risk of providing personal information on an unknown platform. So they make the page look like a familiar platform. Sometimes, they may lure you in by offering something in return with a background story. Don’t even open such a link to be safe if it comes from a stranger.

Educate Yourself

Scammers will keep coming up with innovative ways to accomplish their evil goals. Essential tips will protect you from current scams to some extent. You need to have a better understanding of online security for which education is important. There are institutes like Inspired E-Learning that offer a library of online security courses for people like you. You don’t have to be a network engineer to learn these courses; it’s for the safety of you and your family.

Be Aware of One Ring Scam

Ever received a call from an unknown number which hangs up right after one bell? Hundreds of thousands of people have! Scammer ring you to create curiosity hoping you would call them back. You are charged with premium rates when you do call them. It’s called ‘One Ring Scam’. They always call you from different numbers and most probably an international one.

Use Two Factor Authentication on Google Account

Your Google account is deeply connected to your mobile phone especially if you are an android user. All your synced data is stored in your Google account. You must keep it secured to keep your mobile secured. Enable two-factor authentication to log in to your account. This way scammer can’t access it even if he has the password because he will also need to authenticate himself with the second factor like a text message.

Install an Antivirus

Antivirus companies have engineers researching all types of viruses. They create antivirus definitions to defend against every single virus. They study the behavior of viruses to identify and stop them when found in your device. This is why it is crucial to have an antivirus installed on your mobile phone. If possible, install only a premium well-reputed antivirus and keep it up to date. Free or outdated antiviruses won’t be able to cope with the new scams.

How to Protect Your Site from Undesirable Spam

Posted on by Hillary Walker
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Spam can be very dangerous for website visitors as it is used to collect personal data which spammers then use at their discretion. Spam messages often contain links to third-party resources of cyber criminals. If you click on them, you can share some confidential information: logins, passwords, bank card number, ID data, etc. The presence of such spam in the comments of your site may damage the efficiency and reputation of your website. That is the reason why spam protection is required.

How to Organize Your Spam Protection?

The easiest way to protect the website from undesirable letters is to use various plugins. We suggest you get acquainted with some of them which can easily detect spam IP and blacklist it.

Of course, you can try to avoid the spam, using some simple methods, such as the disabling the comments function, restricting access, or even “captcha”. However, it is suitable only for non-profit, single-page, and landing sites. Users are more likely to leave feedback if they do not need to go through a long and boring process of verification. So when choosing a plugin, consider what methods it uses to verify data to make the site surfing as comfortable as possible.

In addition to spam in your site comments, your site may occur to be infected with a spam script. As a result, you can lose your reputation and get sanctions from searching services and it will not be available for visiting. That is why it is desirable to know that your site is “clean”. To find it out, you can use CleanTalk, which also provides the domain/IP checking of spam activity.

 1. CleanTalk

CleanTalk is a cloud-based protection system for restricting spam in comments, during registration, mailing via contact forms and creating trackbacks. Also, the plugin filters orders, widgets and email newsletters. It doesn’t use captcha or other techniques. The plugin operation procedure uses the following criteria:

  • The user`s comments have previously been blacklisted;
  • The comment contains a link that is on the blacklist;
  • There is a request to enable JavaScript;
  • The comment is too fast for a person.

The CleanTalk plugin also provides analytic information on its website. The developers also state that the probability of false positives for this filter is 0.001%.

2. WP Spam-Shield Anti-Spam

  • Works with all popular and e-commerce plugins on the site;
  • Protects against spam bots and malicious letters;
  • Operates with JS / Cookies Anti-Spam Layer and Algorithmic Anti-Spam Layer;
  • Promises zero false positives;
  • Uses a spam queue filter, which analyzes the information before it enters the WordPress database;
  • Stops spam registration attempts.

 3. Akismet

Spam guard for all WordPress sites by default. The plugin is a solution to protect the site without charges.

  • Automatically check the comments and use filters;
  • Comment history is saved, which allows the user to check if his or her comment has been marked as spam;
  • Supports the ability to eliminate spam completely;
  • Supports 24 languages.

As you see, spam protection is a vital topic for Internet security. Ask your questions in comments if you have them.

5 ways to Use Linux on a Windows Computer

Posted on by Brian Stone
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There are quite a few different operating systems out there. They have their own pros and cons since they’re all different and unique. Two of the most popular ones are Windows and Linux. Most users are aware of one or both operating systems and familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of using either of the two. However, sometimes some programs and software just run better on a specific operating system. That’s why you find so many people trying to run Windows software on Linux computers. On the other hand, you’re also likely to find many people who want to run Linux software on Windows computers.

However, in some cases, you might have to get a powerful GPU, but fret not as budget GPUs will work too, explore them below:
https://www.pcguide.com/reviews/best-budget-graphics-cards/

Linux has quite a few benefits over Windows. A few prominent ones are that it supports power command-line tools and also benefits the development environment. There are many different ways to run Linux software on your Windows computer. Here are a few ways you can do so:

Cygwin (Partial Linux Environment)

If you’re looking to run a few crucial Linux utilities on Windows and don’t really care about running a whole Linux window on a Windows desktop, then Cygwin might be right for you. Cygwin offers a range of tools that emulate what Linux has to offer but on Windows. It can’t, however, run existing Linux software on Windows desktops. The software will likely have to be recompiled. Luckily, a lot of software has already been recompiled and you can use Linux-like commands and terminals, offering similar command-line programs as you might have previously used on Linux desktops

Installing Virtually (VMs)

Using virtual machines, you can basically run any operating system within a window on your desktop. It’s that simple. The first thing you need to do is install any virtual machine app, like VirtualBox or VMware Player. Then, you need to install a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu onto the virtual machine. This is done the same way as installations are carried out onto your normal desktop and windows machine.

Adopting this method allows you to boot up your Linux software straight from the desktop. You don’t need to reboot your system every time you want to run Linux on Windows. If you’d like an even more immersive interface and want your windows to be located in the Windows desktop instead of the separate virtual machine window, you could opt to use VirtualBox’s seamless mode or VMware player’s unity mode. This would allow you to run Linux applications directly on your desktop.

Furthermore, this method can run pretty much everything excluding games and 3D software, so it’s super useful. Due to the limitation, virtual machines have with 3D effects, you might be better off not using Ubuntu since it has 3D effects in the desktop interface which might lead to instability and rough running of programs. It might make the whole system laggy — no one wants that. So, it would be smart to install some Ubuntu derivative. Xubuntu is a pretty good choice considering it doesn’t run any of those 3D effects and it’s light and efficient.

Installing Linux Distributions through Wubi

Unlike the previous solution I mentioned, this method actually involves directly installing Linux on the Windows desktop and doesn’t just involve running Linux-like tools and utilities on Windows. Technically, this means that you’ll have to restart your system every time you want to use Ubuntu.

The benefit of using Wubi to install Ubuntu, however, is that it doesn’t require you to create a whole different partition like it would normally be required for a standard dual-boot system. Instead, it uses a file located in the Windows partition and this file acts as the “Ubuntu drive”. You can simply uninstall Wubi directly from the control panel when you’re done, thereby deleting Ubuntu from your system safely and with ease. Also, it offers better performance than using Linux on virtual machines but it doesn’t perform as well as using a dual-boot configuration.

Ported and Compiled Programs (Partial)

If you’re just looking for some programs from Linux that you really miss and could use, you can simply search for ported and compiled Linux programs for Windows. It’s highly likely that someone has already ported it and you’ll be able to use it directly on Windows. If not, well, hopefully, it won’t take long for someone to get around to it. Or maybe you could do it yourself, if you know how to, that is.

Distributions (Linux Based)

coLinux, also known as Cooperative Linux, allows you to run Linux directly beside the Windows kernel. This grants you much better performance than using virtual machines. However, the catch is that it only works with 32-bit Windows systems, and doesn’t currently support 64-bit systems. This renders this option a bit outdated. But, if you don’t mind using 32-bit Windows, this might be right for you.

3 Cybersecurity Tips for Entrepreneurs

Posted on by Bobbi Sanchez
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In 2017, a number of 24.089 records were compromised based on the average data breach records. This cost businesses over $3.62 million in a single year. At this point, it is believed that one in four online businesses can expect a data breach at some point of their existence on the online market.

Cyber security is a huge concern of people who use technology. It has received a lot of press in the past few years, which results in continuous updates and changes that aim to reduce, if not eliminate, cybercrime on the Internet. As a person who has an online business, you need not only learn what is cyber security, but also learn how to protect your online business from criminals.

Seeing how the numbers above are only expected to grow, there are some things you must do to protect your business from cyber-attacks.

1. Make Good Use of Cloud Storage

Did you know that 43% of all cyber-attacks occur on small businesses and startups? This means that, even if you’re an entrepreneur at a small business, your data is still at risk. Thanks to clouds, you can now keep your data safe from breaches and incidental losses.

However, remember that clouds aren’t always are completely safe. You’re still at risk when you store your data in a cloud format. Some of the more popular cloud options like Google Drive and Dropbox do their best to secure your content. But, no matter how hard a cloud server plants cyber security into their products, you are still vulnerable.

Therefore, you should choose the safest cloud you can find, but also provide an extra layer of encryption to protect your data. To keep it secure, you need to use various encryption SSL systems and tools. This doesn’t make a cloud service bad, but it makes you a responsible and cautious entrepreneur. Think of it this way – it is like when you order assignment help in Sydney from the most popular company, but still use a plagiarism checker to make absolutely sure of the originality.

2. Always Use Strong Passwords

A password can determine whether a cyber-criminal accesses your data or not. It’s the part of the security keychain that’s most commonly the reason for breaches. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have the most secure password on all your systems, data, e-mails, and even profiles on websites.

Your cyber security plan must include utilization of stronger passwords with complex order and more characters. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools and apps that can help you pick the best password.

3. Require Multi-Factor Authentication

To make it even harder for attackers to use your business data, require multi-factor authentication to keep your accounts protected. You can combine passwords, make use of your hardware and smartphone, and even use your fingerprint or face recognition to unlock an account.

The face recognition feature is currently under debate when it comes to security. It is really handy, yes, but a single picture of your face can unlock the account. However, taking into consideration that most cyber criminals don’t know what you look like but are only interested in business data, you can definitely consider it as one of the authentication methods. It may be necessary to use one of these top VPN providers.

Conclusion

Technology has been one of the best and most effective changes in the business world. However, all great things come with their own set of risks, which in this case, is cybercrime. As an entrepreneur, it is your obligation and job to keep the business data safe and confidential. Therefore, it is time to make some changes to implement a safer and stronger cybersecurity strategy that will give your business a better chance to thrive and survive. In the unlikely event that you still got attacked by cybercriminals even with the necessary precautions taken, look for a digital forensics company to help you.

How Adware Affects Your Computer

Posted on by Shawn Abraham
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While on your Computer or mobile device, you notice an annoying pop-up advertisement, and regardless of how often you close it, it keeps reappearing. Chances are its Adware.

Adware is short for advertisement and Software. It is an advertising-supported Software. It is the name given to programs that are designed to display advertisements on your Computer, redirect your search to advertising websites, and collect data about you. For example, it receives a history of sites the user visits, and this sends this information back to the ad company. The information collected is often used to deliver custom advertisements to you.

Adware is a financially supported Software, and most times, developers bundle them with other files that you’ve downloaded. They might be malicious in nature so you must run a scan using Adware Removal tool. Sometimes they are not harmful, but they have the potential to be, and users see them as an invasion of privacy and distraction.

How Adware is Installed

Are you in a situation where specific advertisements keep showing up on your Computer, whether in any of your browsers or sites you’ve never seen ads before? If you answer ‘yes’ to this question, your system might be affected by Adware that injects ads into websites as you browse.

Aside from getting rid of Adware; a big question you might be asking is how did it get there initially?

Adware overtime has been responsible for many successful and prevalent programs including AOL instant messenger, Endora and many more. A method in which Adware can get into your system is when you download a free program. Other times, producers of software bundler pay for ads to appear when you search for specific Software. These adverts lead you to download a software bundler instead of the free, neat Software you were hoping for, leaving you with many ad injections.

Another method which is as well insidious occurs when you’re visiting a website. It doesn’t matter if it’s a trusted site or a sketchy one. Whichever way, your device can be infected with Adware. This way takes advantage of the vulnerability of your browser. The Adware burrows in, start collecting information, redirects you to malicious sites and pop up more advertisement.

How Adware affects your Computer

Sometimes, adware fall under the category of malicious software ‘malware.’ Adware is often harmless, but are now used in bad manners to exploit your system. Below are ways Adware can affect your Computer.

Slows down your Computer

The first warning of malicious Adware is the deterioration in your Computer’s performance. Adware has a reputation of engaging resources and in turn, hurting performance and speed.  Adware runs continuously in the background without your knowledge and uses valuable resources such as memory processor speed.

Increase Bandwidth Usage

Adware does this by downloading unwanted stuff. When you authorize the download of Software, new Software is downloaded and installed simultaneously. Many adware programs enter into your Computer unknowingly. These programs invade your Computer and run in your Computer’s background, eating up bandwidth. If you notice a constant use of your internet, but you can’t find any program regularly using this bandwidth on your Computer. It is likely Adware.

Make Computing Experience Worse

Adware is an annoyance to most computer users. For the majority of people, the primary problem with Adware is its ability to display advertisements in a pop-up form whenever it wants. These adverts grab your attention, and if you click on them, they install Software on your system without your permission. These installed Software keeps displaying adverts related to whatever you have clicked before. This pop up over a user’s work can plague the user.

Costs Money

Shopping is now a lot easier with the availability of online stores. The idea that one can buy anything from the comfort of their home is soothing. Right products, reasonable prices, and new offers/discounts are some of those things that make online shopping attractive. However, there are dangers associated with online shopping. Adware throws fake advertisements for an online store at a user. These ads are illegitimate, and most times, they offer a ridiculously low price of an item or a service that is hard to pass up on. Once a user clicks on it, a malicious user can steal their info (credit card info, for example).

Invades Privacy

Another negative side is an invasion of privacy. Some adware programs can download and install spyware. These programs can capture user personal information, and they send confidential information to advertisers or criminals. Additionally, they can collect browsing history and send it to ad managers.

How to Get Rid of Adware

Look out for suspicious/unknown name in installed programs and remove it.

As discussed earlier, most pop-up ads install a program on your Computer. Though not as a general rule, you’ll need to check for malicious programs to remove it.

Navigate your way to the programs screen and scroll through the list of currently installed programs. Look for recently installed unknown programs, any other unwanted or unknown program and uninstall from your Computer.

Depending on what application has installed the adware infection, the program may have a different name on your Computer. If you cannot find any unwanted or unknown programs on your Computer, then you can proceed with this next step.

Look out for suspicious/unknown name in installed browser extensions and remove it.

Adware generally bombards web browsers with ads. An important step is to look out for unknown extension and uninstall it.

Besides, you can reset Internet Explorer settings or other browsers to return them to the state they were in on the first installation on your PC. This reset feature fixes many issues while saving essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history, and open tabs.

Install MalwareFox

As easy as the above steps look like, things are not completely easy in most cases. There are situations in which these programs might be hiding deep in system setting and prove challenging to remove.

In cases like this, it is reasonable to scan the system with adware removal tool like MalwareFox. MalwareFox performs deep cleaning, detects, and cleans Adware; removing annoying ads, toolbar, and search in a click.

Additionally, MalwareFox restores performance by deleting adware infections which engages resources. With this method, there’s a gain of lost power of the computer system.

10 Ways to Secure Your Information Across Your Devices Online

Posted on by Christopher Nichols
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The digital revolution has brought great advances in public access to information. Before the internet, you needed a set of encyclopedias or a visit to the library to find things out. Now, almost any information you desire is at your fingertips, on the computer. But the same technology that permits information access online makes us vulnerable to invasion by others seeking valuable information or resources from us. So it is vital in this digital age to take strong steps to protect yourself and devices.

Here are 10 ways to secure your information across your devices online:

1. Pick Strong Passwords

This is the obvious one, but you’d be amazed how many people choose simple passwords that are easy for sophisticated hackers to hack. Algorithms can go through millions of simple possibilities in seconds. A good password should contain/include alphabetical, symbolic, and numeric characters. It should be of sufficient length, 10-12 characters, and not contain obvious names or words. Acronyms make good passwords because they are easy to remember, yet do not present discernible patterns for hackers. Also, obviously your passwords across different apps should be different, not the same.

2. Protect Your Passwords

They are the keys to your digital kingdom! Do not give your passwords to others. Password manager apps are one great answer for those who have many passwords. If you do use a password manager app, make sure their reputation is excellent and security strong. After all, someone who gains access to that information will pretty much gain access to all that you own, in one form or another. Change your passwords when notified of any security breach

3. Maintain Separate User and Admin Accounts

Maintaining separate user and admin accounts is a common, almost universal, practice in business settings these days. It is a good idea for your home devices as well. Protect your admin account with a password. Use this account only for admin purposes. If your computer is hacked, the hacker will not automatically have access to make administrative changes. It also makes sense to protect your user account with a password. If your computer is stolen, the thief will need to know the password to immediately access any information you keep on file.

4. Keep Software Current

This is done automatically, in large part, these days on many computers. If you don’t have your computer set up to automatically update at specified times, do so. Many updates are security fixes to combat vulnerabilities in programs. There is a continuous race between developers and hackers who wish to exploit these vulnerabilities. If you are not updating, hackers can easily win this race! Back up your files. It is also a good idea to back up all vital information on two flash drives. Store one and keep the other with you when you go places. In the unlikely event of some kind of disaster (fire, hurricane, theft, etc.) you will maintain your vital information.

5. Connect With Care

Connect only to secure sites. Do not use public Wi-Fi to conduct personal or business affairs. If you must connect to sites where security is questionable, use a strong Virtual Private Network (VPN) like Surfshark. Try it here.

6. Practice Multi-Factor Authentication

Two-factor, or multi-factor, authentication is the use of more than one form of identity verification to gain site access. Passwords are one method. Security questions are another often-used form of authentication. But many times the information commonly used is easily available to identity thieves as well. So, if you are going to use a security question, make sure the information is personal and truly private. Biometrics is another method growing in sophistication and popularity. Facial recognition or iris identification should someday be the norm in all computers. Fingerprints or voice identification are other good examples. Biometrics authentication is the future state of the art, although all methods still face challenges. Some devices have biometric capability now. Passwords will become a thing of the past, although they’re still vital currently! Setting alerts on your online accounts is another good practice.

7. Use Caution with Emails

One of the most common security breaches comes from replying to or opening links in fraudulent emails. This is commonly known as phishing. Never open a link in an email unless you are absolutely certain it is from a trusted source. Don’t even open it then. A common hacker practice is to gain entrance to one account and use that account to send phony messages to all contacts, with requests for money or information. Phishing emails have led to many notorious security breaches. Think of the 2016 elections, when a phishing email led to the massive DNC security breach.

8. Use a Good Security App

This is just good common sense. In this day and age, a good security app is a must. Many decent apps are free, but this is one area where it likely pays to pay. Consumer advocate sites rate the top security apps each year. If you don’t have one, hurry to check these ratings out, then purchase a good app. Visit at least 2 or 3 sites to get a consensus. Then check customer reviews as well.

9. Minimize Physical Access Possibilities

Physical access to any of your devices may be the easiest way for someone to gain vital personal information. Don’t leave your computer up and running in public. Do not leave important applications open anywhere while you are absent. Protect access with a strong password. Although best practice with passwords is to not keep physical copies, in the real world, where you might have 50 passwords, this is often not practical. Keep password information in a secure spot.

10. Utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

The VPN has become vital to maintain strong internet security. VPNs encrypt information and route your connection through a remote server. Your actual identity and location are masked by that server. VPNs also permit connection to sites that are geographically restricted or forbidden. They protect information when using public Wi-Fi. VPNs can be used to stream video such as Hulu or Netflix. VPNs permit download access without a digital footprint. Business users can log on to their business networks while traveling. One of the highest rated VPNs is Surfshark. Surfshark has more than 500 servers in all parts of the globe to facilitate strength and speed of connection. They were recently named a top VPN newcomer. Surfshark now offers annual plans with decreased cost and 24/7 support. Presently, a no risk trial is available. This is an excellent opportunity to secure a strong VPN network at an unusually low price.