January 28 2020: With Data Privacy Day being observed around the world today, Sunil Sharma, managing director sales, India & SAARC, Sophos advises you to treat everyday as Data Privacy Day and apply these simple tips to secure your data.
- Use a password manager
Password managers will create and remember complex passwords for you, making it easy for you to keep different passwords for every website. All you need to do is remember one super long and complicated password for the manager itself.
Be aware of what apps you use
Always check the permissions an app is asking for before you download it to your personal device. It’s also important to delete any apps that you don’t use anymore.
Know what you’re sharing on social media
Information such as your date of birth or address gives cybercriminals usable information about you. Equally, sharing when you’re going on a trip can alert local criminals that your home will be empty.
Use two-factor authentication
You can do this with an app such as Google Authenticator, or from SMS codes sent directly to your phone. If you want to be super secure you can do it with a hardware key that you plug straight into your computer or laptop.
Use webcam cover
It’s not impossible for hackers to access your webcam. Keep yourself protected and have peace of mind by using a webcam cover.
Keep your shields up
If you’re having connection troubles, resist the temptation to “turn off the firewall” or “bypass the router” to see if that solves the problem. That’s a bit like disconnecting your car’s brakes and then going for a ride to see if performance improves.
Consider using a ransomware blocker.
Tools like Sophos’ own Cryptoguard can detect and block the disk-scrambling part of a ransomware attack. This offers you protection even if the malware file itself, and its running process, is out there on someone else’s computer that you can’t control.
Patch early, Patch often
There are millions of computers still at risk from WannaCry – this means they haven’t been patched for more than two and a half years! Don’t be one of those people. The best way to stay up to date is have auto-updates on so you know you’re running the latest software.|
Make regular backups
And keep at least one recent copy offline, so you can access your precious data even if you’re locked out of your own computer, your own network or your own accounts. By the way, encrypt your backups so that you don’t spend the rest of your life wondering what might show up if any of your backup devices go missing.
While today might be the official Data Privacy Day, remember its Data Privacy Day tomorrow, the day after and the day after that. It’s like Quit Smoking Day – you take it on for the rest of your digital life.
(For more industry voice on Data Privacy Day, read here)
