In today’s digital age, online accounts are interwoven into our daily lives. From social media to online banking, we rely on these accounts to connect with others, conduct business, and manage our finances. Unfortunately, those can be hacked in different ways, thanks to weak passwords, phishing scams, malware attacks and more. Here are 6 simple tips on how to keep your online accounts secure.
#1 Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity
Chances are, you remember the actions you take for your online accounts. This may include updating your profile or password, switching settings or adding data. If you log into an account and notice any changes that you didn’t make, that’s a sign of a hack. In that case, you’ll want to stop using the account and flag the issue to the company.
#2 Choose complicated passwords (and change them often)
Between all the accounts we use on a daily basis, it’s normal to want to pick easy-to-remember passwords, such as pet names, streets or dates of birth. For many of us, it’s also tempting to recycle and reuse the same password across multiple accounts. However, these practices can leave you vulnerable to hackers, especially if they already have access to some of your personal identifiable information (PII). They can take educated guesses to crack your passwords, and then potentially gain access to more than one of your accounts.
For security, choose a unique, complex password for every single account you use. Avoid including any personal details, common words or phrases, and strings of similar numbers (like 5555). Instead, try a mix of numbers, capital letters and symbols, aiming for around 12 characters or more. The more obscure and random a password is, the harder it will be to guess. Once you have a strong password, set a reminder to change it in 2 or 3 months’ time. Switching passwords regularly is an effective way to secure online accounts — and the data within them.
Top tip: Invest in a password manager to help track your strong passwords for online accounts. The best ones can also generate complicated passwords for you, and notify you if any of your passwords are involved in a data breach. With a password manager, all you need to remember is the master password, which is much easier than trying to memorise dozens of unique passwords!
#3 Set up multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) can make it a little more time-consuming to log into your accounts, but it’s worth it — especially for email, banking and other accounts dealing with sensitive or valuable information. With MFA, you need to enter your username and password plus pass another layer of authentication before you can successfully log in. This might involve typing in a PIN or code sent to your phone or using a fingerprint or facial recognition technology.
Top tip: While you’re at it, strengthen the passcodes you use to access your smartphone. Passcode locks are great, and most phones offer a four-digit PIN by default. To boost security, opt for a 6-digit alphanumeric PIN made up of numbers and letters.
#4 Hop onto a VPN before logging in
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) essentially sets you up with an anonymous and secure connection to the internet. VPNs protect your online identity by blocking anyone from seeing who you are, where you are and what you’re doing — even if you’re using public or shared WiFi. They also encrypt any information you send and receive, keeping your communication private.
It’s worth getting into the habit of using a VPN anytime you’re online. But it’s especially important if you’re a) planning to log into accounts with sensitive data and b) taking advantage of public WiFi networks. While these offer a cheap and convenient way to jump online while you’re on the go, they’re open networks — meaning they’re less secure, and much easier for cybercriminals to hack. As for how to secure your account from hackers, a VPN hides your browsing history, even if you are on a free WiFi network, and works on both desktop and mobile.
#5 Set up a separate email account for promotions
Many of us use email to send messages back and forth and communicate with individuals and companies. If you think about the sheer amount of data you may have stored in your email account, it’s a good idea to have different email addresses for different purposes. Think professional, personal and promotions.
Here’s how you might use your promotional email:
- Signing up for new sites, apps or platforms, or free trials
- Placing online shopping orders
- Adding yourself to a company’s email list.
This will give you a sense of how often a company sends marketing emails, and will also keep your personal and professional accounts free from potential spam.
#6 Secure online accounts with antivirus software
Along with following good cybersecurity practices, consider installing sophisticated antivirus software on all devices. ESET Internet Security offers a multi-layered defense against a range of cyber threats, including malware, ransomware and spyware. They can prevent you from accessing harmful or offensive content online, and keep hackers away from your system, router or webcam. You can install it on multiple devices under one shared license.
Top tip: Antivirus software is effective if you keep it updated. Manufacturers release patches regularly to fix flaws and bugs, so try not to ignore the update notifications when they pop up.
Stay safe online
By following these simple steps to protect your privacy online and remaining safe, you protect yourself from hackers and identity thieves. Your personal information is valuable, so don’t forget to protect your devices with proper antivirus software.
