How to Make a Secure Password and Stay Safe Online
Did you know that if you have an unsecured WiFi router at home, people can access your information without you even knowing it? If you want to keep your information and data secure, it is imperative that you make a strong password. One of the best ways to do that is by using a passphrase: a combination of multiple words (usually 5 or more) with spaces between them.
Hackers can come into your home and take all of your personal information without breaking a sweat. It is important that if you are putting in the effort to make sure your computer is safe, then there should be no reason why other devices shouldn’t be just as protected.
Everyone knows that keeping your files safe is important, but what about other devices? I would like to tell you how to make a secure password for all of the devices in your home.
Here are some basic tips on how to make sure your internet security at home is up to par:
1) Change Your Password Often – Hackers like to take control of anyone’s device they can, which means every time someone downloads malware onto their system through an email link or a website, the hackers know your IP address and can open up a connection through your device and access your files and information. Make sure whenever you make a new account for anything (iTunes, email, etc.) that you set it to never remember passwords. It is important to change passwords on all devices even when you have a VPN router set up for gaming consoles such as Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation. VPN won’t prevent your passwords from leaking if visiting phishing sites.
2) Use Two-Step Verification – This is one of the easiest ways to stay safe online when it comes to protecting all of your devices. It adds an extra layer of security by assigning every device that attempts to log in with your password another code that they will need before entering into your system. You can usually set this up on Google, Apple, and Microsoft account very easily and quickly.
3) Install An Antivirus Program – There are many free and paid antivirus programs out there that will not only protect your computer from malware and viruses but also help at protecting you against other harmful online activities. These days hackers are very sneaky and can come onto your system under the disguise of something as simple as an email link or a PDF file so it is important to ensure you have some sort of protection on your devices.
4) Only Download Apps And Programs From Trusted Sites – When you download apps and programs that seem too good to be true, then chances are they indeed are too good to be true. Look for warning signs such as program size (for example Google Drive files should only be about 15-20MB), screenshots with poor English text, misspelled words in the description, and the same amount of likes/dislikes (less than 50). If it looks like a scam then odds are it probably is. You can also use sites like VirusTotal or Jotti to scan the program with multiple antivirus programs at once in order to make sure it’s safe before entering your information into it.
Follow these tips when you get home and feel free to leave your own tips for staying safe online in the comments section below!