How to Have Better Cyber Hygiene

What is Cyber Hygiene?

Cyber hygiene, or digital hygiene, refers to the regular steps that you can take to improve your online security. By treating cybersecurity practices as a routine, you’ll be able to mitigate online breaches. Digital hygiene requires maintaining these precautionary practices on a regular basis. You can create good habits by setting automated reminders to change your passwords, update software, or scan for viruses using antivirus software.

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Common Digital Hygiene Problems

Cyber hygiene addresses common problems that can compromise your cybersecurity. By maintaining good cyber hygiene, you’ll be able to bypass these avoidable issues.

• Security breaches from phishing, malware, and viruses.
• Data loss from hacking or corruption.
• Old software that is more vulnerable to online attacks.
• Out-of-date antivirus and malware software that provides less effective protection.

Cyber Hygiene Best Practices

While cyber hygiene is a general routine that ensures you stay safe online, these best practices can help you improve your everyday cybersecurity routine.

Antivirus and Malware Software

Installing antivirus software can protect your devices from security threats like malware or computer viruses. By regularly scanning for security breaches, you’ll be able to easily detect and eradicate security threats.

Update Software Regularly

Updating smartphone apps, web browsers, and operating systems will ensure you have the latest protections. Software updates often include security patches that address flaws in the software that may let viruses or hackers into your device. Regularly updating or updating automatically resolves these issues.

Set Strong Passwords

A key part of maintaining cyber hygiene is by setting strong passwords for your devices and accounts. Your WiFi password, computer or smartphone password, and passwords for online accounts should be unique and complex. Incorporate numbers, symbols, and capital letters for stronger passwords. Changing your passwords regularly also prevents hackers from figuring them out.

Multi-Factor Authentication

For important online accounts, like bank accounts or email inboxes, using two-factor or multi-factor authentication offers an extra layer of security. Two-factor authentication typically requires a password and a unique code sent to your phone or accessed from an app. Multi-factor authentication provides the most security, with some systems requiring facial or fingerprint recognition.

Back Up Regularly

If hackers access one of your devices, you may lose important data. Good cyber hygiene should prevent most data loss but backing up important files can protect them even after a breach. Keep your files secure by maintaining a data backup on an external hard drive or in the cloud

Secure Your Wireless Network

When you set up your router for the first time, you should always update the default username and password to protect your network from hackers. Choose a router that offers WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for the highest level of security.

Cybersecurity threats may sound daunting but practicing good cyber hygiene habits is an easy way to keep your information safe and secure online. Creating strong passwords, updating your software, and installing antivirus software will protect you from being a victim of cybercrime.