Best Security Tips

These are the steps people who work in the IT security industry take to protect their computer networks.

• The #1 practice shared amongst security experts is staying on top of software updates. Most security breaches are effected through software vulnerabilities and loopholes (and these breaches are called exploits). Updating your software (and in the case of certain gadgets, updating your firmware!) protects you from those who might exploit open vulnerabilities on your system.

• Use Strong & Unique Passwords:  A strong password is at least 8 characters long, doesn’t contain any words you’d find in a dictionary, does contain several special characters (e.g. !@#$%^&*), and uses a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters.  A unique password is one that you use for one and only one account. That way if one account is breached, your others stay secured. Would you ever use the same exact key for your car, your house, your mailbox, and your safe deposit box. The problem is that memorable but secure passwords are hard to manage, especially if you commit to never repeating a password. So, use a password manager!

  • Use Two-factor authentication: Any authentication method that requires two different authenticating credentials. For example, a password would be one kind of factor while facial recognition could be a second factor. Only with both are you granted access. Today, most services that offer two-factor authentication will require a password and a verification code that gets sent to you by email or by SMS. In order to break into your account, someone would have to crack your password and intercept the verification code. Needless to say, everyone should use two-factor authentication!

• "Think before you link." In other words, think about it before you click that link. How many times have you clicked on a link that looked legitimate only to arrive at a website full of distasteful ads and malware warnings? Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to disguise a malicious link as a proper one, so be careful when you click.This is particularly important for emails because a common tactic used by phishers is to recreate emails from popular services (like Amazon and eBay) and insert fake links that take you to pages that ask you to sign in. By logging in, you’ve actually just given them your account credentials!

• If it sounds too good to be true, it is probably not true. No one wants to send you $5 million. You are not the millionth visitor to the website. You are not a winner (I have to tell my kids that all the time, which might make me a bad parent.) And the Pretty Russian Girl who wants to be your friend is probably not pretty and not even a girl. She doesn't want to be your friend ... she wants your money.

• Encryption of data. Though it is important for companies to protect their data from outsiders, it is also important to protect it inside the network. Its important to use Encryption software to encrypt data on Desktops, Servers, Laptops, mobile phones etc. to ensure that even if anyone gets their hands on this data, they will still not be able to see\utilize the same. According to a recent Ponemon study, 50 percent of recent data breaches were due to lost or stolen equipment. Businesses need to protect all sources of data, including laptops, smartphones, USB drives and mp3 players.