Network Security Threats: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself

The cybercriminal landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, with new threats emerging every year. Since a large part of our lives is dependent on the internet, we can’t stop using it. What we can do is take all necessary precautions and pressures to ensure our personal and business data remains secure.

First of all, it is important to subscribe to reliable and well-known ISPs such as Charter Spectrum. But that’s not enough. You also need to have a proactive approach against threats such as malware, phishing scams, and social engineering. Here are some tips to protect yourself from network security threats. 

1. Be Smart About Passwords

Online spaces that let users comment, make purchases or interact with others often require passwords. So you must always have strong passwords. A tip to making strong passwords is to include special characters in them. Make them complex and long so that they are difficult to crack. Never choose birthdays, phone numbers, name initials, or keyword sequences as your password. Also, you must have a separate password for each account. That’s because if you use the same one for multiple accounts, it becomes easier for hackers to access all your information at once. Guessing one password is all they have to do and the rest is smooth sailing.

If you find it hard to generate and remember complex passwords every time, make use of a password manager. It would not only make unique passwords but also store them in a secure place.

2. Install Software Updates Timely

Most cyber-attacks happen because the systems or software is not updated timely. This leaves weaknesses that the hackers exploit to gain access to your network. Once they’re in, preventive action becomes futile.

At times businesses/people continue using unpatched versions because updating it requires them to take it down for a bit. At other times, they are simply not aware of the new patches available. To deal with such scenarios, it’s wise to invest in an authentic patch management system. It would manage the updates automatically and therefore make your network/system more resilient.

3. Clear Your Cache

Your web history saved cookies and searches can give a lot of hints regarding your details. This is why it is important to always remove browsing history and cookies. For Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer, you can clear your cache by simply pressing Ctrl+Shift+Del. A dialog will open allowing you to pick the browser data elements you want to delete.

4. Back-Up Your Data

Whether you work in a big organization, have a small business, or are simply a regular internet user, it is important to create data backups. Businesses dealing with customer data particularly need to be vigilant in this regard. Always have multiple copies of the data you store. In this way even if one of the systems is compromised, you’d always have a backup. IT professionals recommend the 3-2-1 Rule for data backup. This means you need to have 3 copies of data, two stored in different mediums while one copy stored offsite.

5. Be Wary of Phishing Scams & Click Bait

It’s also important to be careful about what you click on. Remember, Click Bait does not only include interesting videos and catchy titles. It may also include links in emails, messaging apps as well as social media networks such as Facebook. Phishing links are disguised as secure websites and often trick the user into giving out their credentials.

Therefore, don’t click links in emails and text messages unless you’re aware of the source. In some cases, even a trusted source is compromised. So if a post or email seems unusual or unlike the style of your family or friend, refrain from clicking on it unless you’ve verified the source.

6. Secure Wi-Fi

In today’s digital age, almost everyone uses a Wi-Fi-enabled device. But if you connect your device to an unprotected Wi-fi it might get infected. And when you connect this infected device to another network at your home or office, the entire system would be at risk. Hence, avoid using public Wi-Fi. Always use a Wi-Fi network that is protected and has a hidden SSID.