Rabat- The internet has gone from being a niche, limited space to a mainstream and even necessary part of our lives, with social media specifically playing a significant part in how we express our thoughts and interact with others.
However, there are dangers that come with going online — that is why it is important to follow certain tips and recommendations that are critical to staying private and safe online. Over the few decades that the internet has been with us, cyber attacks and hacking incidents have become more prevalent and better hidden.
With the shift to remote working environments due to COVID-19, the fourth quarter of 2020 saw “the highest number of data breaches, nearly 125 million cases.”
Protect your privacy online
A virtual private network (VPN) can help you establish an encrypted tunnel between your device and the Internet, ensuring that no one can see what you are doing or access your information.
Additionally, a VPN will ensure that your online privacy is protected at all times, whether your goal is to be more private on social media, protect yourself from hackers, or from government surveillance.
VPN use is highly recommended when connecting to unprotected public Wi-Fi networks, and to stop malicious websites from accessing your data.
Read also: Personal Data of 2 Million Moroccans Leaked Online
Be cautious when sharing personal information
It is easy to get swept up in the excitement and feel the need to share every detail of your life on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. However, people post private information without thinking of the potential dangers if it falls into the wrong hands.
The first thing to remember is to always be mindful of the information you share on social media and the details you include in your profile. Remember that anything that is visible to the public can be viewed by anyone, including people you do not know. Therefore, the best course of action is to ensure that anything you want to keep private is never shared publicly.
Avoid using easily hacked passwords
Studies have revealed that the average person has around 100 passwords. Email, social media, and even vital services like payment apps and online banking all require passwords.
According to Kevin Mitnick, one of the world’s most famous hackers, bestselling author, and computer security consultant, you can protect yourself against hacking attempts using the following methods.
1. Stop using passwords and start using passphrases
Passphrases are a series of words which include 25 characters or more. It might seem difficult to remember 25 characters, but passphrases can be original, short sentences that are simple to remember, like “I went to the beach today and swam in cold water.”
To make it even more complex, you can misspell a word in the sentence and use numbers to replace certain letters. This combination is hard for a hacker to crack.
2. Use Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a method that requires the user to provide two or more verifications to access accounts or apps. For example, after entering your email and password to log in to your email account, if you enable multi-factor authentication, you will receive a security code on your phone to verify your identity and ensure that it is you attempting to log in.
3. Never reuse passwords across multiple sites
According to a Google survey, 52% of people use the same password across multiple accounts, which creates major security risks. If one of your accounts is hacked and you are using the same password for multiple accounts, all your other accounts are at risk as well.
In this case, it is highly recommended to change every other password and avoid using the same password for more than one site, as that greatly increases your vulnerability to cyberattacks.
4.Do not use your username, real name, birthday, phone number, address, or other easily identifiable information
This type of information is easy for hackers to identify and obtain from your bio on Facebook or any other social media account, making it significantly easier for them to reverse engineer your password.
5. Do not store your passwords in plain text on your computer
It is advisable not to store any information about your passwords on your computer. However, if you must store them because you have too many passwords to remember, do not save them in a document under the name of passwords, use vague hints instead.
It is also recommended to use password managers: applications that can generate highly secure passwords and store them safely in an encrypted format, making them difficult for hackers to crack or reach. Do exercise caution and research extensively before using one though, to guarantee your safety and privacy.
