Is Your Internet Security Up to Scratch?

How vigilant are you when it comes to your internet security? Be honest here, if you’re like most of us, convenience trumps complete internet security most of the time. According to EveryCloud, 90% of security breaches are as a result of human error.

It just takes a few seconds for a hacking program to find a weakness in your security system. And, while we’re all focused on getting the best antivirus software, even that can’t protect you if you become careless.

Here are some of the most common mistakes to make:

• Your password’s easy to crack: Your password should be at least 16 digits long and ideally a random mix of letters; special characters, and numbers. Don’t choose a password that’s even remotely related to personal information about you.
• You use the same password everywhere: Yes, it’s hard to remember different passwords for different sites. But it’s essential because not all sites are as secure as we’d like. Your bank might not get hacked, but can you say the same for a blog that you’ve subscribed to?
• Two-factor authentication is too “inconvenient”: Two-factor authentication makes remote hacking a lot more complicated. This is an inconvenience that’s worth putting up with because you’ll learn about any unauthorized attempts to access your account straight away.
• You don’t update your antivirus software: Updating your antivirus program regularly is essential if you want to the best possible protection. Set it to check for updates daily automatically, and you don’t have to worry about this again.
• You don’t back up your data: Do not pass “Go” and do not collect your $200. In this day and age, it’s insane not to create regular backups. You’re risking losing all of your data to save yourself a few minutes a week

These are some of the common mistakes that most of us are guilty of. They’re also the perfect way to leave you vulnerable to attack. By beefing up on your security awareness training, you’ll find that it’s easier to secure your system than you thought. You just have to put the work in.

Also published on Medium.