With the pandemic hitting the world, the need for the internet has skyrocketed with the offices shifting to homes, binge-watching your favourite series or exploring new ones, and more are now an essential part of our daily lives. The number of employees working remotely due to the pandemic has increased the attack surface for cybercriminals. These employees are no longer connected to the office’s protected official network, and their computers are frequently unsecured and easy to hack.
The need for high-speed internet has also increased the need to have a secure internet connection for your home to avoid any cyber threats. This is an important source that gives knowledge about your router’s IP address to protect your network and you. It’s also critical to have a contingency plan if everything else fails. Get your data backed up to a secure cloud or other storage devices regularly.
It’s also a good idea to separate your data and keep it in different locations or make extra copies in case something goes wrong, and if you are ever hacked, you will be able to restore your data that would have otherwise been lost.
So What Is Cyber Security?
Cybersecurity is the process of protecting systems, programs, and networks from digital threats. These hacks are usually aimed at gaining access to, changing, or deleting sensitive data, extorting money from users, or disrupting normal business operations.
Cybersecurity is definitely among the most pressing challenges in the modern world, owing to its political use and technology complexity. With more new devices coming, attackers become more innovative, and implementing effective cybersecurity measures is increasingly difficult.
Here we shall discuss specific ways to ensure that you have a secure home internet experience with some basics:
1. Use a VPN
VPNs protect your online activity and encrypt your data from fraudsters and even your Internet Service Provider when you use a public internet connection. VPN connections are private even if dispersed across public internet infrastructure, thanks to such encryption. The information is only encrypted once it has arrived at its destination.
2. Ensure To Have A Secure Wi-Fi Network
Encrypted Wi-Fi is a necessary component of having a secure Wi-Fi network. It’s vital to build a system where no one can access the Wi-Fi system you’ve put up for your purpose. Using the security mechanism WPA2, which allows you to set your home Wi-Fi password, is one of the most secure ways.
This technique ensures that devices attempting to connect to your home Wi-Fi cannot do so unless they are operated by someone who knows the password. It’s crucial to be cautious about who you provide your password. Before entering your password into someone’s system, make sure you can trust them.
Additional advice: When setting up a new router, alter all default settings and passwords to make it more personalised. This will make it difficult for whoever tries to break into your house’s Wi-Fi system.
3. Look Out For Phishing Scams
In these scams, the attacker poses as someone that the sender should not deceive the receiver of the message. This could allow them access to your passwords, account numbers, and other personal information. These phishing emails are formed to appear to be legitimate messages from a reputable company. To secure your system, you must install security software and automatically alter the settings to update. If you have any concerns regarding the mail, you can contact the company using the information provided on their official website. Precaution is always better than cure.
Below are mentioned a few heads up to identify if it is a phishing scam or not:
They may inform you that there is a problem with your account information and that you require updation
- You might be told to make a payment by clicking on a particular link
- It might say to you that you qualify for a lottery
- There’s a chance they’ll add a forged invoice
4. Webcam Security And Privacy To Be Improved
You will be involved in video calls and other activities that necessitate a webcam if you work remotely. However, these webcams can jeopardise your security. Cybercriminals can access your webcam without authorisation, putting your privacy at risk. The webcam may capture images of you or sensitive times, which the cybercriminal can access, and their usage will be a threat to your privacy and security.
5. Securing Your Online Banking
It is necessary to use only legitimate software and services to handle funds. You must log on using a Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (SHTP). It indicates the URL should begin with HTTPS:// rather than HTTP. Search for a lock in the URL bar on the left, meaning the website has a valid security certificate. To boost security, use strong passwords.
If you don’t know who you’re dealing with, don’t give out your bank account information or send money to an unsolicited vendor. If you have any doubts about someone’s identification, ask them for additional verification.
With the steps mentioned above, you can ensure yourself a safe cyber experience at home and concentrate on your work without the fear of cybercriminals gaining access to your data.
