5 Tips For Cyber Secure Home Experience

Technology | 25-01-2021 | Breanne Thorne

cyber secure home experience

With the growing dependence on the internet, one single vulnerability is all an attacker needs to drag us down the line. The user’s responsibility is to secure users’ data from hackers, who are always trying to invade our privacy. Due to covid19, most of us are restricted to work from home. Hence cyber-secure homes have become more critical than ever. These five steps will help you to create a secure cyber environment at your house.

1) Checking Your Router’s Settings

First things first, securing one’s wi-fi is one of the most critical aspects of cybersecurity. It is generally advised to use SSL Certificates for network security. But even these few steps regarding your wi-fi will also increase your privacy dramatically.

The primary step is to make sure the WPA2 password is long and intricate enough to fool the attackers attempting to hack. Avoid personal names and easily guessed words and numbers. Don’t forget to change your default admin username and password. Use the latest wifi encryption, cutting -edge encryption, if implemented correctly, can secure your route very well.

Keep updating the wifi router firmware whenever possible as it prevents further fall of your network security.

Locking down MAC addresses helps you to have a high level of control.

Ensure that your wireless network is configured correctly because they are easily exploitable if you don’t take enough precautions beforehand.

2) Using a Virtual Private Network(VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) service provides you greater privacy than a secured wifi hotspot as it creates a private network from a public internet connection.

VPN masks your IP address (internet protocol), making them untraceable. Even though your ISP knows that you are using a VPN service, it doesn’t have access to your activity.

If a person captures your IP address, they can access your web history and your location when you are searching. Your IP address leads back to your device. Hence, it is advised to use VPN to protect your IP address as a VPN encrypts all your data, and it changes our IP address when you are using browsing.

VPN works by creating a data tunnel across your local network and an exit node of another location. It uses encryption to scramble data while passing over a Wi-Fi network. This makes data unreadable. Your internet service provider can also know your web activity; hence, one can secure their web life using a VPN.

- Choosing a VPN
- Make sure that they have a no-log policy.
- Check for the full, unmetered bandwidth without data limits.
- Once go through the location of servers.
- Check whether you can set up multiple devices.

3) Use Two-factor Authentication (2FA) To Shield Your Remote Access

Two-factor authentication(2FA) is also referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication. This security process gives two authentication factors to the user to verify oneself. It is usually done to protect both the user's credentials and resources the user has to access.

2FA provides a higher level of security than authentication methods that depend on single-factor authentication (SFA), in which the user is provided with only one-factor i.e., password. The first password is verified in two-factor authentication, and the next factor is either a security token or a biometric characteristic, like a fingerprint or face scan.

This two-factor authentication makes it harder for hackers to access your device or online accounts because just knowing a password is not enough as one has to even get through the security token factor. It acts as an additional shell of protection. This protects your accounts even if attackers steal your password database or use phishing campaigns to obtain passwords.

One can use authenticator apps like Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or HDE OTP (iOS only) for enhancing security as an extra step of protection never hurts anyone.

4) Have Good Anti-virus Software

It is essential to have good antivirus software because it helps to prevent many attacks. It may not help avoid all types of Cyber Attacks. Still, it can avoid Intrusion into the computer even though not every intrusion into our computer is meant to cause severe damage or steal our information that doesn't make this attack less dangerous by any means. While purchasing antivirus software, make sure to buy a trusted, well known, and subscription-based program.

Good antivirus software helps you prevent rootkits. It provides you bot protection i.e., alerts a user when a cybercriminal is trying remotely to hack the device to use it as a source for automatic spamming and other cybercrimes. Antivirus software even helps to detect when the computer or the device has been infected by spyware(unwanted software that penetrates your device and steals internet usage data and sensitive information).

Always make sure to update your software because it helps you to protect yourself from patrons. One of the main things is never to open attachments or links from an unknown source and never give your essential information such as a password, even if it appears to come from an administrator or authentic source.

5) Backup Is Mandatory

If available, make sure to use online backup services. Using a mobile device management (MDM) or enterprise mobility management (EMM) service, you can access automated backups by your system’s management console.
Avoid using USB drives as there are many examples of these devices being infected with malware. Disable the autorun when you use a USB, as it helps you prevent malicious code on the infected drive from opening automatically ( Department of Homeland Security).

Software patching/security patching is very handy during troublesome times.

If you have teenagers at home, make sure to give them a separate device as they may open a large variety of links and attachments out of curiosity. And never mix your office and home drives and devices. You can use this blog to gain access to a secure IP address.

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Author

Breanne Thorne

Breanne Thorne can usually be found binging on indie series on Netflix. When not absorbed in the latest gut wrenching thriller, Breanne loves dancing, cooks very badly, enjoys strolling around the city, and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in the USA, with her brother and adorable puppy, Milo.