8 Tips for Maintaining Security Online According to Experts

 The truth is that the security of our devices is more dangerous online, and the suggestions for securing it are complicated. A lot of that sounds good in theory, but only how much actually works and does. There are some people who talk about how to stay safe online and that is true while others are just mere cyber security myths.

According to a recent study by Google, security experts have a fundamentally different approach to online security than ordinary Web users. These differences include not only habits and behavior, but also mindsets and attitudes. Want to stay safe online? Then forget everything we know about online security because it's time to be retrained in proper patterns. And here are 8 Tips for Maintaining Security When Online According to Security Experts.

1. Keep Software Update

Keep Software Update

Installing software updates, using password managers, and using two-factor authentication are all top choices for experts while remaining a much lower priority for non-users.

HT: Ars Technica

Would we be surprised to learn that the first practice to stay safe online, shared among security experts was software updates? Most of the non-experts focus more on antivirus, encryption, privacy. But so many people forget that software update is very important. Why?

Because although the last few years have really highlighted the dangers of social engineering, the reality is that the vast majority of security breaches are committed through software vulnerabilities and loopholes (and these breaches are called exploits).

Ever wondered why apps keep asking us to update, update, update? Sometimes those updates exist to push new features, but often they exist to patch vulnerabilities that weren't discovered to date. Updating our software can protect us from those who might want to exploit open vulnerabilities in our systems.

2. Use a Strong & Unique Password

Use a Strong & Unique Password

Password managers change the whole calculus as it makes it possible to have strong and unique passwords.

HT: Tom's Hardware

A bad password is only marginally better than having no password at all. It lures us into a false sense of security and makes us forget that weak passwords are easy to crack. For a password to be effective, it must be strong and unique. A strong password is at least 8 characters long, doesn't contain any words you might find in a dictionary, does contain some special characters (eg! @#$%^&*), and uses a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters.

A unique password is a password that we use for one and only one account. That way if one account gets breached, the others stay safe. Have we ever used the exact same key for other accounts?

The problem is that passwords that are easy to remember but secure are difficult to manage, especially if you commit to never repeating your password. So, use a password manager!

When it comes to passwords, only 24% of non-experts surveyed said they use a password manager for at least some of their accounts, compared to 73% of experts.

HT: Information Week

Password managers remember our account credentials so we don't have to. When we need to log in to a website or program, the password manager will fill in the relevant details for us. It's safe and comfortable. You can use some of the password managers available today.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Many popular websites and services support two-factor authentication. This means that even if someone can get your password, they won't be able to log into your account.

HT: Laptop Mag

Two-factor authentication is an authentication method that requires two different authentication credentials. For example, passwords would be one type of factor while facial recognition could be a second. Only with both of us are given access.

Currently, most services that offer two-factor authentication (unfortunately not all do) will require a password and verification code sent to us via email or SMS. In order to log into our account, someone has to crack our password and intercept the verification code.

It makes sense that if updates, password managers, and two-factor authentication are top priorities for security professionals, they should be top choices for amateurs, too.

HT: Ars Technica

4. Check Links Before Clicking

Check Links Before Clicking

“Think before you link.” In other words, think before you click on that link.

HT: Roger Thompson

How many times have we clicked on a legitimate-looking link only to land on a website full of unsavory ads and malware warnings? Unfortunately, it's pretty easy to disguise a malicious link as a real one, so be careful when clicking.

This is especially important for emails because a common tactic used by phishers is to recreate emails from popular services (such as Amazon and eBay) and insert fake links that take us to pages asking us to log in. By logging in, we've actually just given them our account credentials!

Another risk with links is shortened URLs. Short URLs can take us anywhere and it's impossible to decipher the destination by reading the URL alone, which is why we should always expand the short URL to see where it's going before clicking on it.

5. Browse HTTPS Anytime

Browse HTTPS Anytime

Data encryption. While it's important for companies to protect their data from outsiders, it's also important to protect it on the network.

HT: Novell

Encryption is very important and we should encrypt all our sensitive data whenever possible. For example, encrypting cloud storage files in case they get hacked or leaked and encrypting smartphone data so that no one can snoop on our communications.

And while privacy is important, there are other reasons for digital encryption besides that. But for web security advocates, one of the more effective measures is to use HTTPS whenever we can.

6. Stop Sharing Personal Information

Stop Sharing Personal Information

Do not post any personal information – your address, email address or mobile number – publicly online. Only one personal piece of information that strangers can use to find out more.

HT: Tom Ilube

Posting our personal information online can have serious repercussions. We'd be surprised by how much people can learn about us from even a breadcrumb or two. Most of the time it leads nowhere, but sometimes it can ruin our life.

There is a process called doxxing (or doxing) where people will scour the Internet for our personal information and eventually have enough puzzle pieces to determine who we are, where we live, who our family members are, where we work, and more.

7. Ignore Anything “Too Good to Be Right”

Fraud

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't. No one wants to send you $5 million. You are not the millionth visitor to the website. You're not a winner... and the Beautiful Russian Girl who wants to be your friend is probably not beautiful and not even a girl. He doesn't want to be your friend... he wants your money.

HT: Roger Thompson

The problem with “too good to be true” is that it usually indicates fraud, as is the case in e-commerce scams. Some things on the Internet are always perfect. We can take the risk if we want, especially if we can eat the potential loss without flinching, but the general rule is to ignore it if we can't find a catch. If we can't find a catch, then it's most likely our catch.

8. Scan for Malware Regularly

Scan for Malware Regularly

Among respondents who are not security experts, 42% consider using antivirus software one of the top three things they can do to stay safe online. Only 7% of surveyed security experts believe that.

HT: Information Week

Can we believe that only 7% of security experts use antivirus software? Sounds crazy, right? Is antivirus software really that bad? It depends on our criteria.

Non-security experts list top security practices as using antivirus software… One reason that might explain the difference in using antivirus software is that security experts are more likely than non-experts to use operating systems other than Windows. So while it's tempting to interpret the results as indicating experts think AV isn't an effective security measure, that's not automatically the case.

HT: Ars Technica

Antivirus software should be seen as a back line of defense, as more of a last resort than a primary safeguard. Even the best antivirus programs are far from perfect, so it's more effective to focus on proper security habits.

In other words, security experts know how to keep themselves safe, so they don't really need that last line of defense. On the other hand, the average user doesn't know how to practice safe security habits, so an antivirus is nice to have.

This is the only tip where the average user strays from the experts, because they don't need antivirus software, but we, too, shouldn't leave that out. Because we never know when it will save us.

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Resa Risyan

Just an ordinary person who wants to share a little knowledge, hopefully the knowledge I provide can be useful for all of us. Keep in mind! Useful knowledge is an investment in the afterlife.