5 Cybersecurity Tips You Should Adopt in 2019

The year 2019 is one great year coming, and we can almost feel it.

It is the year where we should expect the maturity of a lot of tech trends that the world has been looking at, and that make it all the more interesting for us. One other thing worthy of note is how cybersecurity issues will follow us into the year.

With projections for cybersecurity problems to hit $6 trillion yearly by the year 2021, now is the time to start taking preventive measures. Here are a couple of things we recommend.

1) Choose Strong Passwords

We cannot stress this enough.

There is no need to choose a password at all if it is notgoing to be a strong one. It is the key into your accounts – why then would you leave it lying everywhere for just aboutanyone to pick up?

It is generally recommended that you don’t set your password around the following:

• Your birthday/ a child’s or relative’s birthday
• Details about your pet
• Memorable dates in your life
• Just digits. You will be amazed at the numberof people who still use ‘1234567890’ or something of the sort
• Anything easy in general.

A good guide to choosing strong passwords is:

• Ensuring they are a mix of lowercase and UPPERCASE letters
• Put some numbers in them – at random too
• Use some symbols to spice things up
• Follow the first guide above and stay off the common tells.

2) Use multiple passwords

Beyond using a strong password, we also advise that you use multiple passwords across all your devices and accounts.

The reason for that is not because the first password you have chosen is not strong enough. It’s, rather, because you have to account for the fact that a hacker might get hold of that password – or you slip up and reveal it to someone.

Using a single password for all accounts will leave you vulnerable to multiple account breaches at once. Afterall, they have the master key into all your internet lodges.

3) Secure your devices better

We are at that time and age where our smartphones are now so smart, they don’t even need our passwords to be unlocked anymore. A lot of us are now used to unlocking our Android devices just by saying ‘OK Google,’ or using the fingerprint sensor.

TouchID and FaceID on iPhones have also made life easier for a lot ofusers. Once you are dependent on those biometrics, though, you’ll find it less appealing to choose a strong password for your device.

What you might be forgetting is that such devices can still be accessed with a password – and you would be caught out if yours is a weak one.

4) Avoid public Wi-FiNetworks

We don’t know how best to put this. We know you love how free and unlimited the networks are, but you face a lot of risk when you connect to them.

There is the problem of Man-in-the-middle attacks, Wi-Fi sniffing and others which could be used to stealyour sensitive data while connected to the networks. Even the network providersare guilty of recording and monitoring your internet activity while you are connected to their networks.

If you must continue using public Wi-Finetworks, the least you could do is layer your connection over a VPN. That encrypts your data and gives you the level of anonymity that you need to operate on such networks without fear.

It’s never too late to download a VPN software or app for your device.

5) Be Vigilant

Notice any strange activity on your accounts? Change your passwords IMMEDIATELY and contact your account officer/ support desk to report it. Don’t wait till it becomes a full-blown attack – or something bad happens – before you report the little occurrences.

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