1. Trust your feelings.
First and foremost, remember that technology alone is not a complete defense - it is the best protection. Cybercriminals have learned that the easiest way to find what they want is to identify you rather than your computer or other devices. This is called an attack on social engineering.
When attackers want your password, activity data, or control over your computer, they often try to trick you into giving them a sense of urgency. For example, they may send you a message pretending to support Microsoft technical, saying that your computer is infected and that they need access to your computer right away. Or they may send you an email saying that your package cannot be delivered unless you verify your postal address by clicking on a link, which ultimately allows them to access your computer.
Urgency: A person who causes a great sense of urgency, often with fear, intimidation, difficulty, or an important deadline. Cyber attackers are good at creating convincing messages that seem to come from credible organizations, such as banks, government, or international organizations.
Policies: The pressure to pass or disregard safety policies or procedures, or the best promise to be true (no, you did not win the lottery!).
Contacts: A message from a friend or colleague when a signature, tone of voice, or words sound like them.
The most common indications of social engineering attacks include:
2. Protect your home wireless network.
Almost every home network starts with a wireless network (or Wi-Fi). This is what makes all your devices connected to the Internet. Many home wireless networks are controlled by your Internet router or a separate, dedicated wireless access point. In any case, they work by transmitting wireless signals to which your devices connect. To protect your wireless network, do the following:
Change the default administrator password. The administrator account is what allows you to configure your wireless network settings. The attacker can easily retrieve the default password provided by the maker.
Only allow people you trust to connect to your network. Do this by enabling tight network security, which requires a password for anyone to connect to your wireless network. It will encrypt their work when connected.
Make strong passwords. The passwords people use to connect to your wireless network must be strong and separate from the administrator password. Remember, you need to enter the password only once on each device, as it stores and remembers the password.
Not sure how to do these steps? Ask your Internet service provider, check their website, check the documents that came with your wireless access point, or check the merchant's website.
3.Create a strong entry phrase.
When a site asks you to create a password, create a strong and unique login. A good password is long; the more characters it has, the more powerful it becomes. That's why we recommend that you create a single entry phrase using just a series of easy-to-remember words, such as beehoneyborn. Make sure you use a different login for each device or online account. This way, if one login is corrupted, all your other accounts and devices are still secure.
Worried you can't remember all those sentences? Use a password manager, a special program that securely stores all your passphrases in an encrypted format (and has many other great features).
Finally, enable 2-step verification (also called two-factor authentication) where possible. It uses your password and adds a second step, such as a code sent to your smartphone or an app that generates a code. 2-step verification is probably the most important step you can take to protect your online accounts, and it's much easier than you might think.
4.Make sure your devices, applications, and applications use the latest version of the software.
Cyber Attackers are always looking for the dangers of new software, and when they do, they use special programs to exploit and hack into the devices you use. Meanwhile, software companies are working hard to improve their products by releasing software updates.
By installing the latest software updates immediately, you make it much harder for anyone to hack you. To stay current, enable automatic updates where possible. This rule applies to almost any network-connected technology, including Internet-connected TVs, baby monitors, security cameras, home routers, gaming consoles, or even your own car.
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