October is Cybersecurity Month, a time to raise awareness about online security and promote best practices to safeguard our data. Despite the enormous increase in cybercrime, many of us still fail to properly protect our own data. To get you started, we have listed a few measures that do not take much effort but make a huge difference:
- Password managers: Creating strong passwords and changing them frequently is essential to protect your sensitive information. Using a password manager makes this task far more convenient, as it typically includes a password generator for strong and unique passwords, avoids password reuse and syncs all passwords across your devices for easy access. Many providers offer free basic versions with great features.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Adding an extra layer of security through multi-factor authentication significantly enhances your online protection. By requiring an additional verification step, such as a unique code sent to your phone, MFA restricts unauthorised access to your accounts, even if your password is compromised.
- Secure your Wi-Fi network: An easy step is to change the default login credentials for your router to a strong password and to enable encryption (WPA2/WPA3) for advanced protection against unauthorised access. Many routers also offer the possibility to set up a guest network, which only provides internet access, but does not grant access to the main network itself.
- Update your software: Turn on automatic updates to make sure your software is regularly updated. If automatic updates are not supported, you should install the updates as soon as possible after you have received the corresponding notifications. This is the best way to ensure you have the latest security patches and best protection.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
